Assessment of knowledge in basic sciences and subsequent academic performance in medical students

Abstract

Background: the academic performance of the medical graduate depends on the acquisition of knowledge during his university education. Objective: to determine the relationship between the level of knowledge in basic sciences and the subsequent academic performance in students of Human Medicine of the National University of Central Peru (UNCP), Continental University (UC) and Universidad Peruana Los Andes (UPLA). Methods: a non-experimental, descriptive and longitudinal study was performed. Theoretical methods were used: analysis-synthesis, induction-deduction and historical-logical; empirical: documentary analysis and examination of the students when they were in the fourth year of study, then the weighted average of the entire undergraduate was obtained and related to the result of the selection test for the medical internship. Results: among the 168 students evaluated, the average of the basic science exams, final weighted and selection exam for the medical internship was 5.9; 14.3 and 12.5 respectively, according to the vigesimal scale from 0 to 20. Knowledge in basic sciences (RR: 4.1; p <0.001) and the final weighted average> 14.0 (RR: 5.8; p <0.001) were factors that were related to the good academic performance in the selection test to perform the medical internship. Conclusions: the level of knowledge of basic sciences influenced the subsequent academic performance in medical students.