Relationship between high school grade point averages and university performance of medical students enrolled in Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences

Different studies regarding criteria of admission for medical students indicated that prediction of success of students at the university is the most important issue. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between High School Grade Point Averages (HsGPAs) and university admission test (Konkoor) ranking with students’ success indices such as their Basic Sciences Course Averages (BSCAs)، Comprehensive Basic Sciences Exam (CBSE) scores and Comprehensive Pre-Internship Exam (CPIE) scores. This cross sectional descriptive study investigated the records of 356 medical students enrolled in Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences between 1996-2001. Demographic data of students including their sex، admission group and their study indices such as HsGPAs، Konkoor ranking، BSCAs، CBSE scores، and CPIE scores was collected from their university records. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS V. 15 and the p-value under 0. 05 considered as significant. The mean of Konkoor ranking for the enrolled students was 1276. 3 (± 911. 7). The average HsGPAs was 18. 46 (± 1. 14)، BSCAs was 14. 92 (±1. 36)، CBSE scores was 133. 8 (±16. 14)، and finally for CPIE scores was 118. 9 (±18. 1). There was a significant relationship between HsGPAs and success indices according to sex and being local (P<0. 01). There was no significant relationship between Konkoor ranking and the success indices. HsGPAs is more valuable than Konkoor ranking in predicting the success of students in Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences.