What does this research mean for the field?

Admission route, nationality, and repeated attempts at the Comprehensive Basic Sciences Examination (CBSE) significantly predict academic performance in medical students, with highly competitive entrants achieving the highest GPAs and CBSE scores. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.CHALLENGES_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This study investigates how factors like age, gender, and admission route influence academic performance in medical students.

March 4, 2026Advances in Medical Education and Practice0 citationsOpen Access

Admission Routes and Demographics as Predictors of Academic Performance in Medical Students: A Retrospective Cohort of Grade Point Averages (GPAs) and Comprehensive Exam Scores

MAMohammad Abed FRFarhang Rashidi KAKhadijeh Adabi

Key Points

This study investigates how factors like age, gender, and admission route influence academic performance in medical students.
Analyzed academic records of medical students from 2019 to 2022
Included data from the first 5 semesters of grades, GPAs, and CBSE scores
Conducted univariate and multivariate analyses to identify predictors
Found that repeated attempts at CBSE lead to lower GPAs and scores (P<0.001)
Admission route significantly affected performance, with competitive entrants scoring highest (P<0.001)
Iranian students outperformed non-Iranian students in GPA and CBSE (both P<0.001)
Male students scored slightly higher on CBSE than females (P=0.011)
Admission route and entry year emerged as key predictors of academic success in multivariable analyses

Abstract

Background: Understanding factors associated with medical school academic performance can inform selection and student support. Traditional measures such as high school grades and standardized test scores are incomplete. Emerging data emphasize the importance of age, gender, entrance route, and exam history on academic outcomes. This study explored associations of age, gender, admission route, nationality, and CBSE attempt number with cumulative basic sciences overall grade point average (GPA) and Comprehensive Basic Sciences Examination (CBSE) scores at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, providing insights for optimizing selection strategies and educational interventions. Methods: Academic records of medical students from 2019 to 2022 were retrospectively collected. Data from the first 5 semesters (2.5 years) of course grades, cumulative GPAs, and CBSE scores were included in the analysis. We conducted univariate and multivariate analyses to examine associations and predictors. Results: A total of 1727 individual records were analyzed. Repeated attempts at the CBSE were associated with progressively lower GPA (P< 0.001) and CBSE scores (P< 0.001). The admission route had a significant impact on performance (P< 0.001), with highly competitive exam entrants achieving the highest mean GPA and CBSE scores, while non-Iranian students had the lowest. Iranian students outperformed their non-Iranian counterparts in both GPA and CBSE (both P< 0.001). Male students achieved slightly higher CBSE scores than females (P=0.011), although there was no gender difference in GPA. GPA exhibited modest variation across entry semesters (P=0.003), while CBSE scores remained consistent. The multivariable analyses revealed that admission route and entry year were the leading independent and consistent predictors of academic performance. Conclusion: Repeated CBSE attempts, admission route, and nationality were associated with academic performance. Highly competitive entrants achieved the highest, while non-Iranian students and repeat examinees showed comparatively lower outcomes. These findings highlight the need for targeted academic support and early intervention strategies to promote equitable achievement among diverse medical student groups. Keywords: medical education, academic performance, grade point average, comprehensive basic sciences examination, admission route

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