Auf Grund einer von EU-Vorgaben geanderten Gesetzeslage, die die osterreichischen Universitaten fur alle EU-Lander offnete, war man in der Studienrichtung Humanmedizin mit etwa 3.000 Studieninteressierten konfrontiert. Da ein herkommlicher Prasenzunterricht nicht moglich war, wurde das Eingangssemester rein virtuell uber das Internet abgehalten und mit einer Reihungsprufung abgeschlossen. Die virtuelle Prasentation stutzte sich auf Visualisierungsobjekte, interaktive Computer-based Training-Lernobjekte und Lehrbuchverweise sowie Animationen und Videoclips. Die Nutzungsdaten zeigten 850.000 Zugriffe auf Lernobjekte im Semester, 257.000 formalisierte Ruckmeldungen und 724 veroffentlichte Anfrage-Interaktionen mit Lehrenden. Die Prufungsergebnisse waren etwas schlechter als in fruheren Jahren, wobei die Erfolgsquote der einzelnen Fragen signifikant von der Intensitat der elektronischen Aufbereitung abhing. Die Evaluierung ergab eine hohe Akzeptanz der Computer-based Training-Lernobjekte, dagegen aber einen deutlichen Wunsch nach Unterstutzung durch Prasenzunterricht und nach Durchfuhrung eines Auswahlverfahrens vor Beginn des Studiums. (DIPF/Orig.)
During the course of the admission procedure for the diploma programs Human Medicine and Dentistry at the Medical University of Graz in July 2009, a serious error occurred in the evaluation process resulting in the publication of an erroneous provisional list of successful applicants. Under considerable public interest this wrong list had to be withdrawn and corrected. The publication of the erroneous list had been encouraged by a preceding item analysis yielding falsely optimistic results due to this systematic error. The source of the error and its consequences are described in detail, and a simple recipe to avoid similar errors in the future is provided.
Although admission to university in Austria is generally open for applicants who have successfully completed secondary school, in some areas of study, including human medicine and dentistry, the selection of students by additional criteria has become legally possible as a result of a decision by the European Court in 2005. We studied the impact of this important change on the temporal pattern of medical students' progress through the study programme.All 2532 regular students admitted to the diploma programme in human medicine at the Medical University of Graz during the academic years 2002/03-2007/08 were included in the analysis. Non-parametric and semi-parametric survival analysis techniques were employed to compare the time required to complete the first two study semesters (first part of the curriculum) before and after the implementation of admission tests. Temporal patterns of dropout before this goal was achieved were also investigated. Sex, age and nationality of students were assessed as potential confounding variables.The cumulative probability of study success was dramatically better in selected students versus those who were admitted openly (P < 0.0001). Whereas only 20.1-26.4% of openly admitted students completed the first two study semesters within the scheduled time of 1 year, this percentage rose to 75.6-91.9% for those selected by admission tests. Similarly, the cumulative probability for dropping out of study was also significantly lower in selected students (P < 0.0001). By univariate as well as multivariate techniques, student nationality, age and sex were also identified as partly significant, albeit weak, predictors.The analysis convincingly demonstrates that, by contrast with open admission, performance-based selection of medical students significantly raises the probability of successful study progress. Additionally, the proportion of dropouts is significantly reduced. Thus, admission tests save considerable costs, in terms of both student time and public resources.
Das traditionelle fächerorientierte Rigorosenstudium Medizin wurde durch eine tief greifende Reform in ein modernes, modular aufgebautes und themenzentriertes Diplomstudium transformiert. Der Artikel gibt einen Überblick über den gesamten Prozess dieser Umwandlung - von der Initiierung über die Planung bis zur letzten Endes erfolgreichen Umsetzung. Besonderes Augenmerk wird auf die zahlreichen Hemmnisse, die einer so gravierenden Reform entgegen stehen, und auf die wesentlichen Erfolgsfaktoren des erforderlichen Change Managements zur Überwindung dieser - eigentlich erwartbaren - Probleme gelegt.04.03.2009 | Gilbert Reibnegger, Josef Haas, Heide Neges & Josef Smolle (Graz)
Admission to medical studies in Austria since academic year 2005-2006 has been regulated by admission tests. At the Medical University of Graz, an admission test focusing on secondary-school-level knowledge in natural sciences has been used for this purpose. The impact of this important change on dropout rates of female versus male students and older versus younger students is reported.All 2,860 students admitted to the human medicine diploma program at the Medical University of Graz from academic years 2002-2003 to 2008-2009 were included. Nonparametric and semiparametric survival analysis techniques were employed to compare cumulative probability of dropout between demographic groups.Cumulative probability of dropout was significantly reduced in students selected by active admission procedure versus those admitted openly (P < .0001). Relative hazard ratio of selected versus openly admitted students was only 0.145 (95% CI, 0.106-0.198). Among openly admitted students, but not for selected ones, the cumulative probabilities for dropout were higher for females (P < .0001) and for older students (P < .0001). Generally, dropout hazard is highest during the second year of study.The introduction of admission testing significantly decreased the cumulative probability for dropout. In openly admitted students a significantly higher risk for dropout was found in female students and in older students, whereas no such effects can be detected after admission testing. Future research should focus on the sex dependence, with the aim of improving success rates among female applicants on the admission tests.
In the framework of medical university admission procedures the assessment of non-cognitive abilities is increasingly demanded. As tool for assessing personal qualities or the ability to handle theoretical social constructs in complex situations, the Situational Judgment Test (SJT), among other measurement instruments, is discussed in the literature. This study focuses on the development and the results of the SJT as part of the admission test for the study of human medicine and dentistry at one medical university in Austria.Observational investigation focusing on the results of the SJT. 4741 applicants were included in the study. To yield comparable results for the different test parts, "relative scores" for each test part were calculated. Performance differences between women and men in the various test parts are analyzed using effect sizes based on comparison of mean values (Cohen's d). The associations between the relative scores achieved in the various test parts were assessed by computing pairwise linear correlation coefficients between all test parts and visualized by bivariate scatterplots.Among successful candidates, men consistently outperform women. Men perform better in physics and mathematics. Women perform better in the SJT part. The least discriminatory test part was the SJT. A strong correlation between biology and chemistry and moderate correlations between the other test parts except SJT is obvious. The relative scores are not symmetrically distributed.The cognitive loading of the performed SJTs points to the low correlation between the SJTs and cognitive abilities. Adding the SJT part into the admission test, in order to cover more than only knowledge and understanding of natural sciences among the applicants has been quite successful.
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