Effect of post-UME-screening test on the performance of medical students of the University of Benin in the second professional MBBS degree examinations

Abstract

This study was a retrospective study aimed at evaluating the performance of 300 level Medical Students of the University of Benin in the Second Professional MBBS degree examinations five years before and five years after the introduction of Post-UME-Screening tests in Nigerian universities. Score sheets from 2002/2003 to 2011/2012 academic sessions were obtained from the School of Basic Medical Sciences and students' scores were extracted and graded as follows: Grade 'A'= 70-100%, Grade 'B'= 60-69%, Grade 'C'= 50-59%, Grade 'F1'= 40-49% (Borderline Failures), Grade 'F2'= 00-39%. Grades 'A', 'B' and 'C' were the passes while Grades 'F1' and 'F2' were the failures. Data were analysed using Graph Pad Prisms and presented as Mean±SEM. Comparisons were done using students' ttest and P-values of <0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results revealed statistically significant increase in Grades 'A' and 'B' scores five years after the introduction of Post-UME-Screening tests (P<0.05). There was an observable increase in Grade 'C' scores but it was not significant (P>0.05). Grades 'F1' and 'F2' showed a statistically significant decrease five years after the introduction of Post-UME-Screening tests (P<0.05). From the findings of this study, it was concluded that the introduction of Post-UME-Screening test improved the performance of Medical Students in the Second Professional MBBS degree examinations and that the screening also ensured that better quality of students were admitted into the medical school.

Keywords: UME, Post-UME-Screening test, MBBS, Medical Students