Comparison and prediction of preclinical students' performance in the MBBS stage I examination at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

This retrospective study involved the analysis of the grades of ninety-four preclinical students who took the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) Stage I Examination in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Social and Preventive Medicine, and Pharmacology between December 1997 and May 1999 at the Mona Campus of The University of the West Indies (UWI). A statistically significant correlation was observed among the basic science subjects. Additionally, a statistically significant prediction was found between the performances of the students in one discipline and the others, with Physiology being the most predicted. The data support the hypothesis that students who performed well in one discipline were likely to perform well in the other disciplines; and also that the performance in some subjects could predict the performance in others. This result may also justify further investigation as to whether the performance in certain basic sciences disciplines at the preclinical stage can be used to predict performance in the clinical disciplines.