Personal qualities of first-year medical students and academic performance : A 6-year follow-up survey

Although it is very important to determine if medical students possess the personal qualities to be competent physicians, no reliable method of doing so has been established. In this study, we evaluated first-year students to determine if they had the personal qualities─the non-cognitive abilities─required of physicians. In addition, we examined the relationship between these personal qualities and students' academic record at Yamaguchi University School of Medicine. Regarding the method of evaluation, students were requested to write a report on an opinion column published in the Asahi Newspaper in 2002. Assessment of three non-cognitive personal qualities was based on their responses in this report. Then, the assessments of students' personal qualities were compared with their grades in the Introduction to Medicine II course, taught in the first year, and with their subsequent advancement status (i.e., whether they repeated an academic year) and their result on the National Board Examination…

personal qualities

motivations

responsibility

amenability

early-exposure practical training