What factors determine academic achievement in high achieving undergraduate medical students? A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Medical students' academic achievement is affected by many factors such as motivational beliefs and emotions. Although students with high intellectual capacity are selected to study medicine, their academic performance varies widely. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to explore the high achieving students' perceptions of factors contributing to academic achievement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Focus group discussions (FGD) were carried out with 10 male and 9 female high achieving (scores more than 85% in all tests) students, from the second, third, fourth and fifth academic years. During the FGDs, the students were encouraged to reflect on their learning strategies and activities. The discussion was audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed qualitatively. RESULTS: Factors influencing high academic achievement include: attendance to lectures, early revision, prioritization of learning needs, deep learning, learning in small groups, mind mapping, learning in skills lab, learning with patients, learning from mistakes, time management, and family support. Internal motivation and expected examination results are important drivers of high academic performance. Management of non-academic issues like sleep deprivation, homesickness, language barriers, and stress is also important for academic success. CONCLUSION: Addressing these factors, which might be unique for a given student community, in a systematic manner would be helpful to improve students' performance.