Residential status of medical students as a factor affecting formative and summative academic performance in Forensic Medicine at Rehman Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction: A rigorous characterization of the impact of residential status of medical students (hostelites vs. day scholars) on the particulars of their academic performance has been lacking in Pakistan.

Objective: To determine the relation of residential status of third year MBBS students to their academic performance in Forensic Medicine based on comparison of their pre-professional and professional examinations results during 2019.

Materials & Methods: A comparative study was conducted from August to October 2019 on the examination performance of third year MBBS students of Rehman Medical College, Peshawar in the subject of Forensic Medicine. The results of theory and viva pre-professional and professional examinations were compared and categorized by residential status of students (Hostelites or Day Scholars). Students were categorized into groups according to their academic performance. Descriptive and Comparative data analysis was performed by SPSS 22.0, keeping p≤0.05 as significant.

Results: No significant difference was found in the mean marks of hostelites and day scholars in pre-professional and professional examinations. The trend of significant improvement from pre-professional to professional examinations was similar in both groups, and it applied to both the theory and viva examinations. A significant correlation existed between the performance in two examinations among all students with no difference between the hostelites and day scholars.

Conclusion: Residential status of MBBS students had no effect on their academic performance in the subject of Forensic Medicine.

Keywords: Academic performance, Forensic Medicine, hostelites, day scholars