DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_2272_24 ISSN: 2277-9531

The association between the clinical competency exam scores at the end of the general medicine course and the clinical grade point average: A comparative study

Ashraf Tashakori, Maryam Pourshams, Saeid Bitaraf
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BACKGROUND:

Considering the novelty of the clinical competency exam (CCE) at the end of the general medicine course in Iran and the lack of studies in this field, it is necessary to research its various aspects. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between the CCE score and the clinical grade point average (GPA), and the predictors of this exam score.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This descriptive cross-sectional study examined the CCE, externship, and internship GPA scores of 442 medical students at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS) who participated in the CCE at the end of the general medicine course from the years 2022 to 2024. Descriptive statistical methods, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, and quantile regression were used for data analysis. A significance level of P value < 0.05 was considered, and the data were analyzed using STATA 14 software.

RESULTS:

The study found that for each one-unit increase in the median externship and internship GPA scores, the CCE score increased by 4.96 and 5.92, respectively. Therefore, clinical GPA scores have a significant relationship with the CCE scores ( P value < 0.001). Additionally, the findings revealed a statistically negative relationship between age and clinical competency score ( P value < 0.001). There was no significant relationship between gender and tuition payment with the CCE scores.

CONCLUSION:

The CCE scores at the end of the general medicine course are positively associated with clinical GPA, with internship GPA showing a stronger correlation to the CCE score than externship GPA. Therefore, clinical training courses have a beneficial impact on CCE performance.

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