Academic results among first-year medical students of cohort K44 and K45 at Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Abstract

Objective: To describe the academic results of first-year medical students in cohorts K44 and K45 and to compare the academic results between students enrolled in the English-medium and Vietnamese-medium medical programs. Methods: A total of 999 first-year medical students from cohorts K44 and K45, Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study. Results: In the first semester, the proportion of first-year medical students achieving Excellent–Good grades was low (K44: 8.4%; K45: 3.9%), while the proportion of Poor & Very Poor was high (K44: 47.8%; K45: 37.6%). A comparison between the two cohorts showed that K44 had a higher proportion of Excellent–Good students than K45 (8.4% vs. 3.9%), whereas K45 stood out in the Fair–Good group (≥7.0 points) with 46.4%, much higher than K44 at 26.8%. By training program, first-year medical students enrolled in the English-medium program demonstrated superior academic results compared to those in the Vietnamese-medium program, particularly in the first semester. The proportion of Excellent–Good students in the English-medium group reached 30.5% compared to only 3.1% in the Vietnamese-medium group, while the proportion of Poor & Very Poor was markedly lower (15.2% vs. 45.5%). In the second semester, the gap between the two programs narrowed, but the English-medium group continued to maintain an advantage in the proportion of Excellent–Good students (11.4% vs. 4.6%). Conclusion: The proportion of Excellent–Good students in cohorts K44 and K45 was low, while the proportion of Poor & Very Poor students in the first semester was relatively high. In the second semester, academic results improved significantly, with an increase in Fair–Average students and a reduction in Poor & Very Poor students. First-year students in cohort K45 achieved better results than those in K44 with statistical significance. Students enrolled in the English-medium medical program outperformed those in the Vietnamese-medium program in both semesters, particularly in the first semester. Further in-depth studies are needed to identify the factors influencing academic results, thereby developing appropriate support strategies, especially for students at risk of poor outcomes.

Keywords: Academic results, medical students, English-medium medical program, Vietnamese-medium medical program.