P-85 Correlation of GPA with Final MBBS Examination scores among three cohorts of students of The University of the West Indies
Author(s):
A Kumar, MH Campbell, K Krishnamurthy, K Connell, P Lashley, Md A A Majumder
Year of Presentation:
2025
Objective: To evaluate the correlation between the grades
from their final exit examination of the MBBS program and
their GPA from the assessment during the five-year course.
Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed three student cohorts (totaling 470) from the Faculty of Medical Sciences across three campuses of a single university. GPA scores and final MBBS examination grades were used, with data de-identified before analysis. The Pearson correlation coefficient measured the strength of the linear association and predictive value between GPA scores and final MBBS grades.
Results: The GPA and the grades from the written sub-component of the Medicine and Therapeutics component exam had a strong positive correlation in cohort 1 and moderate positive correlation in the remaining cohorts 2 & 3; the written Obstetrics and Gynecology exams had a moderate positive correlation in all three cohorts; and written Surgery exams had a moderate positive correlation in cohorts 1 & 3 and a weak positive correlation in cohort 2. The GPA and the grades from the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) subcomponent of Medicine and Therapeutics exams had a moderate positive correlation in all three cohorts of students; the Obstetrics and Gynecology OSCE had a moderate positive correlation in cohorts 1 & 3 and a weak positive correlation in cohort 2; and the Surgery OSCE had a moderate positive correlation in cohorts 1 & 3 and a weak positive correlation in cohort 2. The GPA had a strong correlation with the overall total grades from the final MBBS examinations.
Conclusion: The degree of correlation between the GPA and the grades from the different components of the final MBBS examination varies overall. There was, however, a strong correlation of GPA with the overall grades from the final MBBS examination.