Effects on academic performance of a leveling program in basic sciences in first year medical students

A significant number of students in health careers do not have the knowledge to approve basic courses. Therefore, educational programs to level off knowledge have been developed. To associate the results of a leveling program with the academic performance in cell biology (CB) and biochemistry (BC) of first year medical students. We applied a test to first year medical students at the beginning and end of the leveling program (control test). The results obtained at the end of the leveling program were correlated with the results obtained in CB and BC. Fifty seven of 89 (64%) first year medical students met the study entry criteria (54% female). Students who completed the leveling program had a significantly higher approval rate in CB (93% versus 75%, P = 0.024), and in BC (95% versus 69%, P = 0.001). After completing the leveling program, the risk of failing CB and BC, decreased by 72 and 84% respectively. This study shows that medical students who participate in the leveling program decrease the chances of failing in CB and BC.