THE IMPACT OF APPLICANTS’ PREPARATION FOR ENTRY TO A HIGHER MEDICAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION ON THE ACQUISITION OF MEDICAL BIOLOGY

Abstract

The results of the mastery of medical biology by applicants to the Faculty of Dentistry of the Odessa National Medical University (ONMedU) in the 2024–2025 academic year were analyzed depending on the results of the national multisubject test (NMT). 101 applicants for higher education were surveyed. They gave informed consent to participate in the study. The questionnaire included questions: which subject of your choice did you take on the NMT; total score on the NMT (without correction coefficients); score in biology; score in mathematics; whether you additionally studied biology in preparation for admission. The success of applicants in medical biology in practical classes, exam grades, and knowledge quality coefficient depending on the NMT results were analyzed. The average NMT score of applicants who were enrolled in ONMedU for the budget form of study decreased from 168,1 in 2022 to 154,57 in 2024. The average score of those enrolled in the contract form remained almost unchanged (in 2022 – 149,33, and in 2024 – 150,47). The majority of applicants who studied in 2024–2025 in the 1st year of the Faculty of Dentistry of ONMedU had an average NMT score of less than 160 (55,45%) and only 10,89% had a score of 180 or more. Biology at NMT as an elective subject in 2024 was chosen by 69,31% of respondents and chemistry by 12,87% (on average in Ukraine 22,05 and 1,13%, respectively). No significant difference in the success of applicants in medical biology was found depending on whether they took biology at the NMT or not. Success was influenced by the fact whether applicants studied biology additionally (in preparatory courses, with tutors, etc.) or not when preparing for admission to a higher education institution. Among those who additionally studied biology, there was a lower percentage of those who were not admitted to the first exam or those who received an unsatisfactory grade on the first exam (38,98 versus 51,28%) and also a better coefficient of knowledge quality (22,95 versus 15,38%). The group of respondents who received a score of 160 or more on the biology subtest at the NMT had a higher average score in practical classes in medical biology (3,7), a lower percentage of those who were not admitted to the first exam or those who received an unsatisfactory grade on the first exam (27,03%), and a threefold higher knowledge quality coefficient (28,95%) compared to respondents who received an average score of up to 160 (3,29, 66,67, and 9,38%, respectively). The analysis of the success of applicants depending on the results of the mathematics subtest showed an even greater difference in learning outcomes than the results of the biology subtest. In the group of applicants who received 160 points and more, the average score was 3,89 in practical classes in medical biology and 3,63 according to the results of the first exam, compared to 3,38 and 2,8, respectively, in the group of those who received a score of less than 160. There is also a lower percentage of those who were not admitted to the first exam or those who received an unsatisfactory grade on the first exam (29,41 versus 47,5%) and a significantly higher quality factor (58,82 versus 12,05%). The results indicate that targeted preparation of applicants for admission to medical institutions of higher education, the development of logical thinking is of great importance for successful learning.