Dissecting the Correlation between Pre-Professional and Professional Examination Marks in Forensic Medicine: A Gender, Residence and Attendance Specific Comparison

The current study was conducted at Rehman Medical College from April to August 2021 to compare the academic performance of students in forensic medicine based on gender and residential status and to correlate class attendance with students’ academic performance in pre-professional and professional examinations. A total of 469 students (male = 255 and female = 214) of the third year MBBS were recruited via universal sampling. Both examinations consisted of two components: theory and viva voce. For academic differences based on gender and locality, students were assigned to five groups. The first consisted of students with marks < 50%. Subsequent groups were constituted of students with marks in the ranges of 51%–60%, 61%–70%, 71%–80% and > 80%, in a progressive sequence. In an additional dimension focused on discerning the symbiotic relationship between frequency of classroom presence and scholastic prowess, students were demarcated into four separate groups: < 75% attendance, 76%–85%, 86%–95% and > 95%. Analytical procedures of a descriptive and comparative nature were conducted through SPSS version 22.0. A p-value not exceeding 0.05 was posited as the demarcation line for determining statistical relevance. The academic performance of most students improved in the professional examination. However, the students with ≥ 70% marks in pre-professional examination had less robust, albeit statistically significant, improvement in the professional examination. In terms of academic performance, an important difference was found based on gender and residential status, which were compared in both examinations. A statistically significant correlation was found between class attendance and students’ academic performance in pre-professional and professional examinations (all p < 0.001).