Prediction of Success in Medical Licensing Examination of Thailand (MLET) Step1 of Mahasarakham Medical Students

Abstract

Background and Objective : According to the Thai Medical Council requires that all Thai medical students who matriculated as of  academic year 2003 must  pass the Medical Licensing Examination. There are three  steps for the examination. The Step 1 examination, called comprehensive basic medical science, would be held at the end of their third academic year. The Step 2 examination, tested the knowledge on clinical science, would be held at the end of their fifth academic year. The Step 3 examination, tested the clinical skill, would be held at the end of their sixth academic year.  This study aims to assess factors that predict students’ performance in the Medical Licensing Examination of Thailand (MLET) Step1 examination. The hypothesis was that demographic factors and academic records would predict the students’ performance in the Step1 Licensing Examination.

Methods: A logistic regression analysis of demographic factors (age, sex and residence) and academic records [high school grade point average (GPA), Mahasarakham University Entrance Examination score and GPAs of the pre-clinical years] with the MLET Step1 outcome was accomplished using the data of 340 Mahasarakham medical students who had first attempt for the MLET Step1 since 2006 to 2015.

Results: Of 340 Mahasarakham medical students [mean (range) age, 22 (21-24) years; 62.9% were females, 229(67.4%) passed the MLET Step1 examination. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the significant predictors of MLET Step 1 success/failure were GPAs of the preclinical years. For students whose first, second and third-year GPAs increased by an average of1 point, the odds of passing the MLET Step1 examination increased by a factor of 1.3, 12.7 and 17.6,  respectively. All demographic factors, high school GPA and the University Entrance Examination score were not the significant predictors of MLET Step1 success/failure.

Conclusions: Students with low-grade point averages in their first, second and third preclinical years of medical school are at risk of failing the MLET Step 1 examination.