Results of the 2019 and 2020 MIR test calls according to academic scale

Abstract

Introduction: The examination for access to medical specialization in Spain, known as the MIR test, has been convened annually since 1978 jointly by the Ministries of Health and Education and Vocational Training, and is carried out simultaneously at various locations throughout Spain. Access to the different medical specialties is conditioned by the academic scale achieved in the Medicine degree, as well as by the result of said test.
Objective: The present work analyses the results of the doctors that took MIR tests of 2019 and 2020 according to their academic scale.
Method: For this study, the information published by the Ministry of Health regarding the final results of the doctors who attended 2019 and 2020 calls was employed. This information includes the average grade of all the doctors who performed the exam, as well as the number of order obtained in the test.
Results: Although the average score has a weight of only 10% on the score that gives rise to the ordering of the doctors in the MIR test, there is a correlation between the scale and the order number obtained that allows choosing between the different specialized health training places offered in the call.
Conclusions: In most cases, the individuals who obtained a better average grade in the Medicine degree are those who obtain the best results in the MIR test. It is considered that this is due to the addition of a higher level of initial knowledge at the beginning of the preparation of the test, together with a greater use of said preparation time linked to their ability and work habit, previously trained throughout the six courses of the degree.