A Qualitative Study of Factors Associated with Medical Students' Academic Success

Abstract

Problem statement: The aim of the present study was to determine the successful medical students' viewpoints on factors significant to their academic success assessed according to the students' grade point average. In this research the students with the grade point average (GPA) A (17-20) were considered academically successful. Approach: The participants were 30 fifth year successful students (i.e. students with GPA, A) from Shiraz Medical School. The instrument used for the qualitative data gathering was interview. The subjects were arranged into 6 groups of 5 students followed by a discussion on reasons of their success. Five educated tutors coordinated the groups. Results: Categorizing of focus group data was done and 4 general factors including "personal abilities" "attitude, beliefs and motivation", "effort and perseverance" and "supportive factors" were found to be critical to the students' success. It is clear that all factors mentioned by students play an important role in their success in general. The similarities between the results of this study and those of others support the idea that all successful medical students share some common characteristics. Conclusion/Recommendations: The results of this study would help both medical school authorities and instructors to design strategies for more effective education. The results can also help other students to find out what might lead them to more success.