title: Relationship of academic success of medical students with motivation and pre-admission grades.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine predictive validity of pre-admission scores of medical students, evaluate correlation between level of motivation and later on academic success in a medical college.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analytical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad, from June to August 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  A non-probability convenience sampling of students of 1st to final year MBBS classes was done after obtaining informed consent. These students filled out 'Strength of Motivation for Medical School' (SMMS) questionnaire. The data of pre-admission grades of these students along with academic success in college according to examination results in different years were collected. The correlation between the pre-admission grades and score of SMMS questionnaire with their academic success in medical college was found by applying Pearson co-efficient of correlation in order to determine the predictive validity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 46% students revealed strong motivation. A significant, moderate correlation was found between preadmission scores and academic success in 1st year modular examination (0.52) which became weaker in various professional examinations in higher classes. However, no significant correlation was observed between motivation and academic success of medical students in college.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Selecting medical students by pre-admission scores or motivation level alone may not be desirable. A combination of measures of cognitive ability criteria (FSc/pre-admission test scores) and non-cognitive skills (personality traits) is recommended to be employed with the use of right tools for selection of students in medical schools.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan. mluqmandr1950@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luqman
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D003099:College Admission Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010154:Pakistan; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012570:School Admission Criteria / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult