The journey to graduation analysis of performance of successful students at the faculty of medicine, King Abdul-Aziz University-Jeddah

الملخص EN

To calculate the time-to-graduate, rate of failing examinations, and the curriculum level at which most failures occur.

Records of students graduating during the period from 2001 till 2007 are analyzed as regards to the duration of study and performance in all final examinations.

The time till graduation ranged from 6 to 10.5 years (mean = 6.53, SD = 0.8).

Only 45.3 % of graduating students required 6 years without any failures.

Another 12.4 % graduated within 6 years, but with failures.

43.2 % of the students fail 2 or more final examinations.

Most failures occurred at the first year of the curriculum.

A lot of students require more than the regular time to graduate.

Failure rates are significant.

Major review of the curriculum regarding content, methods of instruction and assessment is needed.