Identification of Predictors Underlying the Attitude of Medical Students towards Medical Biochemistry in their Pre‐clinical Years and its Influence on Students’ Learning Outcome

Abstract

BackgroundThe importance of positive attitude in the learning process of students has been acknowledged in numerous educational studies (Reiss 2004; Berg 2005; Banya 2005; Trumper 2006). The frequently observed negative attitude of medical students towards Biochemistry among pre‐clinical students in US medical schools served as the motivation for this study. It aims at identifying predictors underlying the attitude of 150 participating medical students (1st, 2nd, and 3rd semesters at Ross University School of Medicine) towards medical biochemistry (a basic science subject that they are exposed to in their pre‐clinical years) and explores the relationship between the possible predictors, attitudes and learning outcomes.MethodsA 7‐item questionnaire paper survey with questions (related to students’ demography (age, sex, marital status, first language), their familiarity with the subject matter, and a 1–7 Likert scale rating of their attitude & confidence levels towards biochemistry was distributed in class at the start of the semester. MCAT scores and GPAs were obtained from the University database. Correlation and Multiple Regression models were used for data analysis.ResultsPreliminary results indicated students’ attitude towards Biochemistry was positively correlated with their levels of confidence for the subject. Multiple Regression analysis identified Confidence and Age as predictors of attitude. However, MCAT Biology scores and familiarity with the subject matter were the best predictors of students’ confidence levels. Learning outcomes were directly influenced by gender and first language, none of which predicted their attitude towards biochemistry.ConclusionAlthough students’ prior exposure to the subject matter determines their approach to medical biochemistry in the pre‐clinical years (in addition to their MCAT scores and ages), the ultimate performance outcomes in the subject are notably higher in males with English as a first language.