Grades of Science and Non-science Courses of Medical Students Graduating from Different Types of High School

Park, Won Il; Jun, Soo Kyoung; Jung, Min Seung

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the interrelationship between the types of high school attended and academic achievement in medical school. We hypothesized that graduates of science or language high schools would achieve higher grades in science or humanity/social science courses during the early medical years because of their previous learning. In addition, we hypothesized that this difference would lessen throughout medical school.
METHODS
The academic scores of 94 students who graduated from E medical school were analyzed. Of the 94, 79 students graduated from general high-schools, 8 were from special science high schools, and 7 were from special language high schools. The academic scores for 13 courses were analyzed: 4 from the pre-medical phase, 3 from the pre-clinical phase, and 6 from the clinical phase. Among the 13 courses, 8(Information & computing, Genetics, Biochemistry, Doctoring, Internal medicine, Reproduction medicine, Internal medicine clerkship, and Obstetrics & gynecology clerkship) were categorized as science courses, while 5 (Philosophy, Behavior science, Preventive medicine, Psychiatry, and Psychiatry clerkship) were categorized as humanity/social sciences courses.
RESULTS
The graduates of the language high schools obtained significantly higher scores in Genetics(premedical) and Psychiatry clerkship(clinical). The differences in the 11 other subjects were not statistically significant. In the clinical phase, the science high school graduates had slightly higher grades in the lecture courses while the language high school graduates obtained higher scores in the clerkship courses.
CONCLUSION
This study supports the hypothesis that there is no significant difference in academic achievements and the type of high school the students attended.