What is the evidence for biology as the ‘heart of eligibility’ to study medicine? A retrospective analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21448227 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rathi Saravanan (0000-0002-3884-6023, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore), Ramya Chandrasekaran (0000-0002-3468-2092, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore), Jennifer Cleland (0000-0003-1433-9323, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore), Sreenivasulu Reddy Mogali (0000-0002-0981-5607, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 510-515 |
| Publication date | 2023-05-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Medical Teacher (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0142-159X • E-ISSN: 1466-187X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0142159x.2022.2140035 |
| PMID | 36315620 |
| OpenAlex | W4307846214 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
The first, sometimes the only, selection tool for entry into undergraduate medicine is prior educational attainment (PEA). This is often further specified to include certain subjects, for example, biology is a prerequisite for entry into medicine in many Asian countries. However, there seems no clear evidence base for this prerequisite. Our aim, therefore, was to carry out a retrospective quantitative study comparing the performances of five cohorts of students (2015–2019 entry; n = 588) with and without biology PEA in Years 1 and 2 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) integrated written assessments (n = 3) and anatomy practical examinations (APE) (n = 5). The study was conducted at one of Singapore’s three medical schools. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests and Mann–Whitney U with p values of less than 0.05 were considered significant. There were no significant differences in performance on any Years 1 or 2 integrated written assessments. Similarly, in one of the APE, a significant difference was found for one cohort (academic year [AY] 2015–2016) out of five assessments. These results suggest that having a prior biology qualification does not make a difference in assessment performance in the early years of medical school. This information may help stakeholders and admissions committees decide whether biology is required for medical school entrance
Academic medicine · Bachelor · Biology · Cohort · Family medicine · Medical education · Medical school · MEDLINE · Retrospective cohort study · Diversity and Career in Medicine · Innovations in Medical Education · Internal Medicine · Medical Education and Admissions · Medicine · Psychology
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |