Investigating the Impact of Admission Requirements on Academic Performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Medical Teaching Institutions

Introduction: The effectiveness of admission criteria in predicting academic performance is critical for optimizing student success in medical education. This study investigates how various admission standards, including FSc grades, entrance test scores, and merit criteria, correlate with academic outcomes in medical institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Aims & Objectives: To examine the correlation between admission requirements and academic achievement among medical students across various medical teaching institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Place and Duration of Study: It was conducted for over six months from January 2022 till June 2022 at the Department of Medical Education, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar after approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Material & Method: A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling to include data from 10,061 students (5,657 male, 4,404 female) enrolled in public medical and dental colleges across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) under the provincial government’s administration. The study utilized SPSS version 25 for data analysis, employing descriptive statistics, linear regression analysis and t-tests to assess the relationships between predictor variables and professional examination performance. Results: Significant but weak correlations (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) were observed between three predictor variables— F.Sc scores, merit criteria, and entrance test scores—and professional examination scores across ten medical colleges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Regression analyses confirmed that F.Sc scores were the strongest predictor of academic performance from the 1st to the 4th year, whereas merit criteria, which include 40% of entrance test marks, emerged as the predominant predictor in the final professional year. Conclusion: The study revealed significant correlations between interpreters (F.Sc, entrance test, and merit scores) and MBBS examination scores across medical institutions. Stepwise regression analysis indicated F.Sc as the best predictor from the first to fourth year, with merit emerging as the top predictor in the final year.