Differences in Learning Outcomes between Medical Students from Urban and Rural Areas

Abstract

Purpose: Learning resources differ between urban and rural areas. We explored the factors that could affect the learning outcomes of medical students from urban and rural areas to guide the selection of medical students and the innovation of related curricula in high schools and medical schools. Methods: From 2003 to 2009, 653 medical students from urban and rural areas enrolled at the School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, were recruited in this study to compare their different characteristics, academic performance, and behavioral records. Urban areas were defined as those encompassing high school addresses located in five cities directly under the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan, Taiwan. Results: The majority (80.9%) of the medical students in this study originated from urban areas. The medical students from rural areas were mostly male, had achieved higher scores in general physics, calculus, general chemistry, and organic chemistry, but lower scores in pediatrics, participated in a greater number of student arts and skills clubs, and had more honor records than did the urban students. The urban students had more, but non-significant, demerit records. Conclusion: The distribution of the medical students in this study was substantially skewed toward the urban areas. The academic performance of medical students from rural areas in the basic sciences was superior; they achieved more records of appropriate behaviors. The findings of this study might be included among the possible selection criteria for selecting new medical students.