Test Results of Basic Cycle in Medicine Program at the Universidad del Norte: retrospective analysis and future challenges

Objective: To describe retrospectively the results of applying the test of proficiency in the basic cycle and develop recommendations for the future. Material and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional analysis of the overall results of the tests of the basic cycle presented by students from the first half of 2010 to those presented in the first half of the year 2014 was carried out. The results were analyzed by area knowledge and systems and comparing the number of correct answers for each of the areas and systems in the last two tests (2103-30 and 2014-10). Results: Of the students presented, 588 passed the examination (60.8 %) and 379 (39.2 %) have lost it. Students who took the exam in 2014-10 had on average a greater number of questions correctly answered, both in terms of area of knowledge as well as systems as compared with the period 2013-30. Conclusions: The authors recommend (1) to include questions that explore attitudinal skills, (2) to develop a plan of support to students who miss the test, (3) to improve the program content for test, and (4) the authors propose to prepare for the tests like a 'spiral curriculum in reverse” establishing partial simulations at the end of each year, with deeper questions, to go from the particular to the general, which is the basic objective of the basic cycle test.