Correlation of performance of students in comprehensive examinations, general weighted average grade to the physician licensure examinations in a medical school with an organ system integrated curriculum

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES:  1. To describe the performance of medical students in comprehensive examinations given after each learning unit or year level.  2. To correlate the scores of the students in the comprehensive examinations to the general weighted average grade (GWAG) for the same learning unit. 3. To correlate the scores in the subject-based part of the comprehensive examinations to the scores in the Physicians Licensure Examination (PLE)   METHODS: The scores of graduates of the University of the Philippines Manila College of Medicine (UPCM) for the years 2009-2011 in the comprehensive examinations, their general weighted average grade per learning unit, and scores in the PLE were retrieved and analyzed. Correlation coefficients of comprehensive examination score and GWAG, and comprehensive examination score and PLE score were computed. RESULTS: A total of 434 out of 463 graduates from UPCM were included in this study. There was no trend observed in the performance of students in the comprehensive examinations as they progressed from one learning unit to the next. Performance in both portions of the comprehensive examinations was observed to have significant correlation to students' LU GWAG for most of the learning units, with the exception of LU 6 and LU 7 for Class B. Performance in the subject-based portion of the comprehensive examinations was observed to have significant correlation to students' PLE scores. CONCLUSIONS: The students' scores in the comprehensive examinations had moderate to strong correlation with the GWAG for the corresponding learning unit. Similarly, scores in the subject-based portion of the comprehensive examination had moderate to strong correlation with PLE scores.