Korean J Med Educ.  2025 Mar;37(1):77-83. 10.3946/kjme.2025.326.

Relationship between intern performance assessed by peers and academic performance in medical school: a preliminary study

• Kim KJ

• KMID: 2565302
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3946/kjme.2025.326

Abstract

Purpose
This study investigated the association between intern doctors’ performance as assessed by their peers and their academic performance in medical school.
Methods
A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted with 21 graduates from a South Korean medical school who interned at an affiliated center. Participants underwent bi-annual peer evaluation for intern performance evaluations using a 5-point Likert scale on professionalism, clinical competencies, and interpersonal skills. Associations between peer ratings and grade point average (GPA), exit assessment scores, and Korean Medical Licensing Examination (KMLE) scores were analyzed.
Results
Peer ratings showed moderate to strong positive associations with exit assessments and KMLE scores, but no relationship with cumulative GPAs. Peer ratings correlated more strongly with objective structured clinical examinations than written tests.
Conclusion
Medical students’ outcomes in exit assessments and KMLEs, especially clinical performance tests, are strong predictors of their performance as intern doctors. These findings highlight the value of clinical performance assessments for predicting intern doctors’ performance and suggest the need for more comprehensive and authentic assessment methods to enhance their predictive validity.

Keyword

Graduate medical education training; Medical internship; Peer evaluation