Academic performance and temporary suspensions: Longitudinal study in the School of Medicine (2015-2022)

Abstract

Introduction: The Bachelor of Medicine program is known for its high academic demands, which, combined with other aspects of university life, may contribute to students becoming vulnerable to pausing their studies temporarily or permanently. At the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), students may request a “temporary suspension of studies” (STE), a mechanism designed to facilitate academic continuity in cases of force majeure that hinder optimal academic performance.

Objective: To identify the academic performance of students who requested a STE between 2015 and 2022 at the UNAM Faculty of Medicine, and to describe the reasons for such requests and their distribution by academic year.

Method: An observational, retrospective, and longitudinal study was conducted. The study included students from the first to the fifth year who requested a STE during the 2015-2022 period. A database was constructed with variables such as: academic year suspended, reason for STE, individual and cohort grade point average, time to re-enrollment, school dropout, program transfer, and sex. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were applied. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare means, and the odds ratio (OR) was calculated to explore the association between sex and STE request.

Results: A total of 649 STE records were identified; 72% were submitted by female students. Of these, 50.8% corresponded to the first year. The most common reason was “depression and mental health.” A total of 10.3% of students dropped out. A statistically significant improvement was observed in students’ grade averages after the STE (p = 0.001). Female students had a higher likelihood of requesting a STE (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.25-1.40).

Conclusions: The STE appears to be a school management tool that may support students in vulnerable situations and contribute to improving their academic performance and grade averages.