title: Academic performance and career choices of older medical students at the University of Otago.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the academic performance and postgraduate career choices of a cohort of medical students who are older and more life experienced at time of medical school entry ("Other Category" students) with students admitted through standard entry admission pathways.
  
  
  METHODS
  Examination performance, graduation rates, postgraduate specialisation and geographical location were compared between Other Category students and students entering via Standard Entry admission (including competitive first year entry and competitive graduate entry immediately after completing a Bachelor's degree).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with Standard Entry students, Other Category students had equivalent examination pass rates, significantly higher rates of distinction passes in examinations in Year 2 (OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.05, 3.29; p=0.03) and Year 5 (OR 2.36; 95% CI 1.27, 4.37; p=0.005), and equivalent graduation rates. Retention of Other Category graduates in New Zealand was 14% higher than Standard Entry students over 10 years post-graduation (p<0.0001), and a higher proportion had specialised in General Practice (p=0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with Standard Entry students, Other Category medical students had higher rates of distinction grades in examination results, higher rates of retention in NZ post-graduation, and a higher proportion taking up general practice as a specialty. These findings may be relevant in planning for recruitment and training of the future medical workforce in New Zealand.
authors.affiliation: University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shelker
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belton
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002321:Career Choice; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult