A PATH TO SUCCESS: UNDERSTANDING PREDICTOR OF SUCCESSFUL ADMISSION IN MEDICAL COLLEGES

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the predictors of successful entry to medical colleges. It was a systematic effort to uncover the experiences of medical students they had gone through while choosing medicine as their career and their successful journey to get admission to medical colleges. A qualitative interpretative design was employed to understand the experiences of medical students when they secured admission to their respective colleges. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with medical students who were in different academic years of the study. The interviews were conducted until we reached saturation point in theme development and no more themes could be generated out of the data. So, the themes were saturated when the researcher interviewed 10 participants. After data collection, interviews were transcribed into Urdu language and then translated into English and retranslated into Urdu to compare with the original version of the interviews to void ambiguity in translated material. The translated data was analyzed using thematic analysis and themes were developed. The themes that emerged after data analysis were self-determined motivation, exam preparation academies, rigorous exam preparation, engaging with past papers, access to extensive and quality study resources, and a supportive family environment. This study undercovers major predictors of securing admission into medical colleges and can be significant students pursuing a career in medicine and mentors who can guide them through the process.