A critical study of ranking the medical universities according to their language scores in comprehensive medical basic sciences

• Main Author: Ahmadi M.
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2007-11-01
• Series: Tehran University Medical Journal
• Subjects: Ministry of health and medical education; comprehensive medical basic sciences examination; english language; university ranking
• Online Access: http://journals.tums.ac.ir/PdfMed.aspx?pdf_med=/upload_files/pdf/6807.pdf&manuscript_id=6807
• ISSN: 1683-1764; 1735-7322

Background: Immediately after Comprehensive Medical Basic Sciences Examination (CMBSE), the secretariat of the Medical Basic Sciences Education Council (MBSEC) proceeds to rank medical universities according to the students' scores both in individual academic subjects such as biochemistry, English and in all subjects put together. This study believes that the method used in ranking the universities according to the students' English scores is not a proper method and thus doesn't provide accurate results. Methods: Seven of the major and smaller universities were selected. The language scores of all the students admitted to the medical schools of these universities during 3 academic years of 1378 to 1381 (2426 students in all) in both CMBSE and National university Entrance Examination (NUEE) were obtained. The language scores of each students in NUEE and CMBSE were matched. Results: A significant correlation (max. R=69%, P<0.004 to min. R=27%, P<0.045) was observed between these two grades in all universities studied. Moreover despite the secretariat's decision to calculate the scores and rank the universities in two separate groups of major and small universities, in some CMBSEs certain smaller universities were ranked in the group of major ones and in some others vice versa. Conclusions: This has impaired the university ranking in the subject of English language. This study proposes two different ranking methods, that eliminate the present drawback in university ranking according to their student's English scores.