BACKGROUND: This study was performed to determine whether a relationship exists regarding academic achievement between years 1 and 2 of podiatric medical education at Des Moines University. Furthermore, this study evaluates the relationship between academic performance in the first 2 years and clinical performance in year 3. METHODS: The academic records of four classes (2007-2010, N = 164) were examined for grade point averages and clinical performance scores using pairwise Pearson product moment correlations. RESULTS: Significant high correlations existed in academic performance scores between year 1 and year 2 for individual classes and pooled data. Significant low to moderate correlations were found between academic performance and clinical performance scores for individual classes and pooled data. CONCLUSIONS: These results help define the relationship between student academic and clinical performance for podiatric medicine students at Des Moines University and suggest that nonacademic characteristics may play a pivotal role in clinical abilities. These characteristics need to be further identified and developed in the academic curriculum. There may be attributes identified that also benefit the admissions process.
BACKGROUND: This study was performed to determine whether a relationship exists regarding academic achievement between years 1 and 2 of podiatric medical education at Des Moines University. Furthermore, this study evaluates the relationship between academic performance in the first 2 years and clinical performance in year 3. METHODS: The academic records of four classes (2007-2010, N = 164) were examined for grade point averages and clinical performance scores using pairwise Pearson product moment correlations. RESULTS: Significant high correlations existed in academic performance scores between year 1 and year 2 for individual classes and pooled data. Significant low to moderate correlations were found between academic performance and clinical performance scores for individual classes and pooled data. CONCLUSIONS: These results help define the relationship between student academic and clinical performance for podiatric medicine students at Des Moines University and suggest that nonacademic characteristics may play a pivotal role in clinical abilities. These characteristics need to be further identified and developed in the academic curriculum. There may be attributes identified that also benefit the admissions process.