[Which are the predictive factors to be ranked within the 500 first medical students at the national ranking exam? A cross-sectional study of the 2009 class]

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of this study was to analyze, during a transversal study, the predictive sociodemographic and individual factors to be ranked within the first 500 medical students in the 2009 French national ranking exam (NRE).

Methods: In September 2009, 5570 medical students have chosen their subspecialty. They were invited to fill-up a questionnaire that included sociodemographics and educational items. Logistic regression was used to identify factors that were associated with being ranked within the first 500 medical students.

Results: A total of 4712 students (two third of women) responded to the questionnaire (92.3% response rate). The mean age of respondents was 24.7 years (±1.79). In the multivariate analysis, independent factors associated with being ranked within the first 500 medical students at the NRE were: being less than 25-year-old (odds ratio [OR]: 1.8; 95%CI: 1.3-2.5; P<0.001), region of origin (Île de France) (OR: 3.7; 95%CI: 2.3-5.8; P<0.0001), to succeed at the first medical year examination for the first time (OR: 1.7; 95%CI: 1.2-2.4; P<0.001), being in the first 20% of the medical students during externship (P<0.0001), critical reading test (CRT) teaching by graduate doctors (OR: 1.5; 95%CI: 1.05-2.1; P<0.001), and to participate in a national practicing ranking exam with a CRT (OR: 1.96; 95%CI: 1.3-3.03; P=0.002).

Conclusion: Our study identified six factors independently associated with being ranked within the first 500 medical students in the French NRE. Education and training of the CRT, newly introduced test in 2009, seem to play an important role.