Send-up exam performance; a predictor of scores in annual exam for preclinical medical students

ABSTRACT

One of the criteria for admission in Annual Professional Exam for medical students in Pakistan is to have 75% attendance during the session and the other is to pass Send up exam with 50% marks. To assess the usefulness of send-up exams in predicting the annual marks by comparing their results with annual University examination results for preclinical medical students. A cross sectional analytical study. A total of 173 preclinical students of 1st and 2nd year MBBS passing the First Professional Exam in first attempt were included in the study. Send up result of each student during the year was entered as percentage and compared with percentage total marks of same students in their 1[st] professional exam conducted by the University. Data maintained by Physiology Department was entered and analysed by SPSS 21. Descriptive statistics in the form of numbers and percentages were used and further analyzed using Pearson Correlation and Paired T Test of Significance. The p value of < 0.05 was considered significant. A total of 173 students [81 from 1st Year and 92 from 2nd Year] who had passed the annual exam in first attempt were included in the study. Out of these, 132[76.3%] were females and 41[23.7%] males. All students were within the age group of 18-24 years, mean age being 21.06 years. Mean send-up score in the subject of Physiology was 57.37 [Range=33-78]. Percentage total marks in all subjects [Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry] in annual exam had a mean of 69.46 [Range=55-84]. Send-up result in percentage was directly assessed against the percentage marks obtained in annual exam for each student. The send-up marks were significantly related to the marks in the final exam [p=0.01]. The strength of association was same as that for average test marks with annual marks. Girls performed better than boys during the send up [Mean 58.35 Vs 54.21] as well as in the annual exam [Mean 70.12 Vs 67.33]. There was also a difference amongst different classes with 2nd year performing better than first year in both send-up [Mean 58.60 vs 55.98] and annual exams [Median 70.83 vs 67.91]. Send-up results may be good predictors of the academic performance in professional examination in preclinical years in a medical college. Female students perform better than their counterparts during both send-up and annual exams