ArticleAdvances in medical education and practice2025
Predictive Validity of Pre-Clinical Academic Achievements in Comprehensive Basic Science Examination: A Nationwide Cohort of Iranian Medical Students.
Article in Advances in medical education and practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Association of the Transition to Online Examination with Grading Patterns in Medical Basic Sciences: A Single-Center Retrospective Study Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic.Advances in medical education and practice · 2026Article
- Admission Routes and Demographics as Predictors of Academic Performance in Medical Students: A Retrospective Cohort of Grade Point Averages (GPAs) and Comprehensive Exam Scores.Advances in medical education and practice · 2026Article
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3 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Medical education directly impacts patient care, yet the predictive validity of pre-clinical academic performance for licensure exam outcomes remains debated. This national, multi-institutional study (2019-2021) assessed the relationship between university course grades, cumulative grade point average (GPA), and Comprehensive Basic Science Examination (CBSE) scores in Iranian medical students. Methods: Course grades and GPAs of 23 medical schools were linked to CBSE outcomes of 51 medical schools across five consecutive exam periods via student national ID. Pearson's correlation, paired t-tests, ANOVA, and chi-square assessed trends. Hierarchical cluster analysis (dendrogram) examined course grade correlations. Independent CBSE total score predictors were found using multiple linear regression. Results: Of the 25,757 individual records, 9,359 (45.2% female) had complete academic and CBSE data, making them eligible for primary analyses (84.5% passed CBSE on the first attempt). The GPA was 15.11±1.74, and the CBSE score was 101.68±24.61. All course grades correlated significantly with CBSE subtests (r=0.055-0.544, P<0.001). A significant moderate association (r=0.492, P<0.001) exists between overall GPA and CBSE. Repeat examinees had considerably lower GPAs and CBSE scores (P<0.001). GPA (β=0.318), Anatomy (β=0.158), Physiology (β=0.135), Epidemiology (β=0.043), and Virology (β=0.043) were the most significant predictors in regression modeling (R²=0.426). Cluster analysis showed that academic grades in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry were strongly correlated with CBSE subtests. Conclusion: This study represents the first large-scale national dataset in Iran pertaining to medical education. Pre-clinical GPA and course grades exhibit overall and subject-specific, notable predictive validity for CBSE performance. To enhance medical education and licensure results, it is advisable to implement standardized, cross-institutional comparisons alongside dynamic curriculum reviews. The regression model and clustering insights provide a framework for targeted educational interventions.
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