title: [Academic performance in first year medical students: an explanatory multivariate model].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current education is focused in intellectual, affective, and ethical aspects, thus acknowledging their significance in students´ metacognition. Nowadays, it is known that an adequate and motivating environment together with a positive attitude towards studies is fundamental to induce learning. Medical students are under multiple stressful, academic, personal, and vocational situations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify psychosocial, vocational, and academic variables of 2010-2011 first year medical students at UNAM that may help predict their academic performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic surveys of psychological and vocational factors were applied; an academic follow-up was carried out to obtain a multivariate model. The data were analyzed considering descriptive, comparative, correlative, and predictive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main variables that affect students´ academic performance are related to previous knowledge and to psychological variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show the significance of implementing institutional programs to support students throughout their college adaptation.
authors: Departamento de Apoyos Académicos, Secretaría General, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM.
authors: María Esther
authors: ME
authors: Urrutia Aguilar
authors: Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Ortiz León
authors: Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Fouilloux Morales
authors: Subdivisión de Medicina Familiar, División de Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Medicina.
authors: Efrén Raúl
authors: ER
authors: Ponce Rosas
authors: Secretaría General, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, México, D.F.
authors: Rosalinda
authors: R
authors: Guevara Guzmán