Influence of Preadmission (Matriculation) Scores on the Progress of and Years taken to Graduate by Pharmacy Students at the University of the North, South Africa
Keywords:
Admission criteria, Graduation rates, Preadmission programmes, Pharmacy education, Student performanceAbstract
Admission to the University of the North (UNIN) pharmacy programme is largely based on performance in the matriculation examinations, with a few students admitted through the UNIN foundation year (UNIFY) programme. We examined the relationship between matriculation scores and student’s performance at first year and the time taken to graduate. High matriculation scores were predictive of good performance in the first year. The English scores had no influence on first year performance. Students with mathematics at higher grade (HG) fared better than those with standard grade (SG) mathematics. However, the same did not apply to biology and physical science. The matriculation scores did not influence the time taken to graduate. Students from the UNIFY programme had higher four year graduation rates than those admitted directly from high school (52.5% against 26%, P 5 0.012). These findings will influence the ongoing review of our selection procedures.References
Allen, D.D. and Bond, C.A. (2001) “Prepharmacy predictors of success in pharmacy school: grade-point averages, pharmacy college admissions test, communication abilities and critical thinking skills”, Pharmacotherapy 21, 842–849.
Boggess, S. (1998) “Family structure, economic status and educational attainment”, Journal of Population Economics 11, 205 – 222.
Brink, A.J., Benade, M.M., Lombard, C.J., Barnes, J.M. and van der Walt, E.E. (1988) “Selection of medical students at a medical faculty in South Africa”, South African Medical Journal 73, 294–299.
Campos-Outcalt, D., Rutala, P.J., Witzke, D.B. and Fulginiti, J.V. (1994) “Performances of under-represented minority students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine”, Academic Medicine 69, 577–582.
Glasser, K., Hojat, M. and Callahan, C. (1996) “Evaluation of an enrichment programme for entering medical students predicted to be in need of academic preparation”, Education for Health 9, 221–228.
Hojat, M., Veloski, J.J. and Zeleznik, C. (1985) “Predictive validity of the MCAT for students with two sets of scores”, Journal of Medical Education 60, 911–918.
Jones, R.F. and Thomae-Forgues, M. (1984) “Validity of the MCAT in predicting performance in the first two years of medical school”, Journal of Medical Education 59, 455–464.
Kassebaum, D.G. and Szenas, P.L. (1994) “The longer road to medical school graduation”, Academic Medicine 69, 855–860.
Keeton, C. (2004) “Universities reject top matrics: straight as turned down in favour of weaker pupils with “life skills””, Sunday Times (South Africa), Available at: www.sundaytimes.- co.za/; Accessed 08 March 2004.
Lee, M.C. (1992) ““Programming” minorities for medicine”, Journal of the American Medical Association 267, 2391–2394. Lewis, C.L. (1996) “A state University’s model programme to increase the number of its disadvantaged students who matriculate into health professions schools”, Academic Medicine 71, 1050–1057.
Payne, J.L., Nowacki, C.M., Girotti, J.A., Townsel, J., Plagge, J.C. and Beckham, T.W. (1986) “Increasing the graduation rates of minority medical students”, Journal of Medical Education 61, 353 – 358.
Pretorius, C. (2003) “Matric results fail medical test: new exam planned as school marks cause confusion”, Sunday Times (South Africa), Available at: www.sundaytimes.co.za/; Accessed 08 March 2004.
Price, M. and Smuts, B. (2002) “How many years do students study before graduating in medicine?”, South African Medical Journal 92, 629–631.
Strayhorn, G. (1999) “Participation in a premedical summer program for underrepresented-minority students as a predictor of academic performance in the first three years of medical school: two studies”, Academic Medicine 74, 435–447.
University of the North Foundation Year (UNIFY) Programme. Available at: www.unorth.ac.za/Unify/; Accessed 27 November, 2003.
Veloski, J.J., Callahan, C.A., Xu, G., Hojat, M. and Nash, D.B. (2000) “Prediction of students’ performance on licensing examina- tions using age, race, sex, undergraduate GPAs, and MCAT scores”, Academic Medicine 75(10 suppl.), S28–S30.
World Health Organisation (WHO). (1997) The role of the pharmacist in the health care system: Preparing the future pharmacist. Report of the 3rd Consultative Group on the Role of the Pharmacist, Vancouver, Canada. World Health Organization, Geneva; WHO/PHARM/97/599.
