Medicine student's repetition: Causes and characterization

Abstract

With the purpose of characterizing the profile of students retaking subjects from I to V semester in the Medicine Program and determining the causes for this condition, a study was carried out within the period between February, 2007 and February, 2008. The sample was of 35 students and seven teachers; primary and secondary information sources were used, and analysis techniques (triangulation, categories) and distribution frequencies were applied. The obtained results show that retaking students start at FUSM as teenagers, most of them come from the Atlántico department, they have got average scores in the state ICFES test, their academic grading averages are low and they also reproved UTA’s more than once. Students and teachers identify reproving academic causes as the main concern and they are followed by affective ones. Therefore, they identify lack of studying as the main academic cause. Students tend to recognize poorly their difficulties in reading and writing absenteeism and issues related to inactive personality which is the case for many of them. Students react emotively before failing, however some of them are conscious of the negative effects, they do not demonstrate their effort to surpass and according to the same students, their parents do not make greater demands with respect to their academic performance in the University and they are not motivated to attend any of the supporting activities for the Medicine Program and University student wellbeing. 37.1% of students included in the study did not register one year later.