Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of the National Medical Association logoLink to Journal of the National Medical Association
. 1997 Mar;89(3):173–180.

The impact of nonacademic variables on performance at two medical schools.

C T Webb 1, W Sedlacek 1, D Cohen 1, P Shields 1, E Gracely 1, M Hawkins 1, L Nieman 1
PMCID: PMC2608243  PMID: 9094842

Abstract

Recent research shows that nonacademic variables must be taken into account when analyzing the indicators of medical student success. However, most previous studies have been limited to a single institution or population. This study investigated the relationship between nonacademic variables and performance at two very different medical schools. The Noncognitive Questionnaire was administered to 104 students at School A (predominantly white and historically oriented toward women) and 102 at School B (predominantly black). Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship among nonacademic variables, undergraduate academic variables (Medical College Admission Test, undergraduate grade point average, and college quality), basic science grades, and US Medical Licensure Exam Step I (USMLE 1) scores. At School A, leadership/decisiveness, expected difficulty, and motivation predicted higher USMLE I scores and higher basic science grades each semester. At School B, expected difficulty was correlated with higher first semester grades only. For School A women, initiative/commitment was positively associated with both higher grades and higher USMLE scores. For black students of School B, expected difficulty was positively associated with higher grades. Identifying school-specific nonacademic variables of performance is critical to developing improved student support services.

Full text

PDF
173

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Calkins E. V., Arnold L. M., Willoughby T. L. Gender differences in predictors of performance in medical training. J Med Educ. 1987 Aug;62(8):682–685. doi: 10.1097/00001888-198708000-00011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Calkins E. V., Willoughby T. L., Arnold L. M. Predictors of performance of minority students in the first two years of a BA/MD program. J Natl Med Assoc. 1982 Jul;74(7):625–632. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dawson B., Iwamoto C. K., Ross L. P., Nungester R. J., Swanson D. B., Volle R. L. Performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners. Part I Examination by men and women of different race and ethnicity. JAMA. 1994 Sep 7;272(9):674–679. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hojat M., Vogel W. H., Zeleznik C., Borenstein B. D. Effects of academic and psychosocial predictors of performance in medical school on coefficients of determination. Psychol Rep. 1988 Oct;63(2):383–394. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1988.63.2.383. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Johnson D. G., Lloyd S. M., Jr, Jones R. F., Anderson J. Predicting academic performance at a predominantly black medical school. J Med Educ. 1986 Aug;61(8):629–639. doi: 10.1097/00001888-198608000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Markert R. J. The relationship of noncognitive characteristics to performance on NBME Part I. Proc Annu Conf Res Med Educ. 1983;22:72–77. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Mitchell K. J. Traditional predictors of performance in medical school. Acad Med. 1990 Mar;65(3):149–158. doi: 10.1097/00001888-199003000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. O'Donnell M. J. NBME part I examination: possible explanations for performance based on personality type. J Med Educ. 1982 Nov;57(11):868–870. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Sedlacek W. E., Prieto D. O. Predicting minority students' success in medical school. Acad Med. 1990 Mar;65(3):161–166. doi: 10.1097/00001888-199003000-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Shields P. H. A survey and analysis of student academic support programs in medical schools focus: underrepresented minority students. J Natl Med Assoc. 1994 May;86(5):373–377. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Webb C. T., Waugh F. E., Herbert J. D. Relationship between locus of control and performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners, Part I, among black medical students. Psychol Rep. 1993 Jun;72(3 Pt 2):1171–1177. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1993.72.3c.1171. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Willoughby L., Calkins V., Arnold L. Different predictors of examination performance for male and female medical students. J Am Med Womens Assoc. 1979 Aug;34(8):316-7, 320. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the National Medical Association are provided here courtesy of National Medical Association

RESOURCES