Academic trajectories analysis with a life-course approach: A case study in medical students

Figures & data

Figure 1. Steps for the process of constructing academic trajectories.

Table 1. Number of students in the MD program at UNAM Faculty of Medicine in Mexico City, by curricular cohort (n = 6,829)

Cohort	Curriculum	Number of students
1994	C-1994	927
1995	C-1994	891
1996	C-1994	920
2004	C-1994	925
2005	C-1994	966
2011	C-2010	1,045
2012	C-2010	1,155

Table 2. Interval labels of students’ transition states during their academic journey

States	State intervals
$A_{\hspace{0.17em}}^{100}$	Academic progress in agreement with the curriculum
$A_{80}^{99}$	80% ≤ Academic progress < 100%
$A_{60}^{79}$	60% ≤ Academic progress < 80%
$A_{40}^{59}$	40% ≤ Academic progress < 60%
$A_{20}^{39}$	20% ≤ Academic progress < 40%
$A_{10}^{19}$	10% ≤ Academic progress < 20%
$A_0^9$	0 ≤ Academic progress < 10%
C	Completion (absorbent state)
NR	Not registered in the academic cycle

Table 3. Examples of state by academic year, each row is a student of the C-1994 program

Student	Cycle
	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
1	$A^{100}$	$A^{100}$	$A^{100}$	$C$	$C$	$C$	$C$
2	$A_{20}^{39}$	$A_{20}^{39}$	$A_{40}^{59}$	$A_{40}^{59}$	$A_{60}^{79}$	$A_{80}^{99}$	$A_{80}^{99}$
3	$A_{80}^{99}$	$A_{60}^{79}$	$A_{40}^{59}$	$A_{20}^{39}$	$A_{20}^{39}$	$NR$	$NR$
4	$A_{20}^{39}$	$A_{20}^{39}$	$A_{40}^{59}$	$A_{40}^{59}$	$A_{60}^{79}$	$A_{60}^{79}$	$NR$
5	$A_{60}^{79}$	$A_{40}^{59}$	$A_{40}^{59}$	$A_{40}^{59}$	$A_{40}^{59}$	$A_{40}^{59}$	$NR$

Table 4. Descriptive statistics of UNAM’s Faculty of Medicine student cohorts, by program, year, gender, age at admission, final grades, final credits and graduation rates (n = 6,829)

		C-1994						C-2010
		1994	1995	1996	2004	2005		2011	2012		Total
N (%)
Women		535 (57.7)	566 (63.5)	591 (64.2)	619 (66.9)	634 (65.6)		689 (65.9)	740 (64.1)		4,374 (64.1)
Men		392 (42.3)	325 (36.5)	329 (35.8)	306 (33.1)	332 (34.4)		356 (34.1)	415 (35.9)		2,455 (35.9)
Total		927 (100.0)	891 (100.0)	920 (100.0)	925 (100.0)	966 (100.0)		1,045 (100.0)	1,155 (100.0)		6,829 (100.0)
Age at admission (mean ± sd)
Women		18.2 ± 1.8	17.8 ± 2.1	18.0 ± 1.8	17.9 ± 1.4	17.9 ± 1.5		18.1 ± 1.2	18.1 ± 1.3		18.0 ± 1.6
Men		18.1 ± 1.4	18.2 ± 1.8**	18.4 ± 1.7**	18.4 ± 2.0***	18.6 ± 2.6***		18.4 ± 1.6**	18.4 ± 1.7**		18.3 ± 1.8**
Total		18.1 ± 1.6	18.0 ± 2.0	18.2 ± 1.8	18.0 ± 1.7	18.1 ± 2.1		18.2 ± 1.3	18.2 ± 1.4		18.1 ± 1.7
Final grades (mean ± sd)
Women		7.6 ± 1.3	7.9 ± 1.1	7.9 ± 1.1	8.0 ± 1.2	8.1 ± 1.0		8.3 ± 1.1	8.2 ± 1.1		8.0 ± 1.2
Men		7.9 ± 1.2***	8.0 ± 1.2	8.0 ± 1.1*	8.1 ± 1.1	8.1 ± 1.1		8.4 ± 1.1	8.4 ± 1.1*		8.1 ± 1.1
Total		7.8 ± 1.3	7.9 ± 1.1	7.9 ± 1.1	8.0 ± 1.1	8.1 ± 1.1		8.3 ± 1.1	8.3 ± 1.1		8.1 ± 1.2
Final percent of credits (mean ± sd)
Women		67.4 ± 36.6	75.4 ± 32.1	74.6 ± 33.3	69.8 ± 33.2	73.7 ± 31.0		76.4 ± 34.0	74.5 ± 34.8		73.3 ± 33.7
Men		76.4 ± 31.3***	78.6 ± 31.5	80.2 ± 30.5*	75.3 ± 32.7*	75.2 ± 31.2		82.1 ± 31.9**	81.4 ± 31.3***		78.6 ± 31.6**
Total		71.2 ± 34.8	76.6 ± 31.9	76.6 ± 32.5	71.6 ± 33.1	74.2 ± 31.1		78.3 ± 33.4	77.0 ± 33.7		75.2 ± 33.1
Graduation rate
Women		37.2	44.3	46.9	32.6	35.0		36.0	42.3		39.1
Men		41.6	52.3**	56.2**	44.4***	40.4*		53.9***	53.3***		48.9***
Total		39.1	47.3	50.2	36.5	36.9		42.1	46.2		42.7
* < 0.05; ** < 0.01; *** <0.001

Figure 2. Academic progress distribution by state, C-1994 curriculum (1994, 1995, 1996, 2004 and 2005 student cohorts), UNAM Faculty of Medicine (n = 4,629).

Figure 3. Academic progress distribution by state in the C-2010 program, 2011 and 2012 student cohorts, UNAM Faculty of Medicine (n = 2,200).

Figure 4. Timing of curricular change, UNAM Faculty of Medicine.

Figure 5. Comparison of student percentages in the “Regular” state ($A_{\hspace{0.17em}}^{100}$) in classes 2004 (C-1994), 2005 (C-1994) and 2011 (C-2010).

Figure 6. Comparison of the percentage of students with regular trajectory ($A_{\hspace{0.17em}}^{100}$) by class and curriculum.

Figure A1. Curricular map of 1994 MD program.

Figure A2. Curricular map of 2010 MD program.

Table B1. Comparative table of the general characteristics of the 1994 MD Curriculum and the 2010 program

Characteristics	Curriculum
	1994	2010
Year of approval	1993	2009
Duration (semesters)	12	13
Academic pensum	9,887 hours	9,983 hours
Total of courses	28	57
Mandatory	24	55
Elective	4	2
Total credits	449	431
Mandatory	433	423
Elective	16	8
Educational model	Flexnerian traditional model (two years of basic sciences and three years of clinical sciences)	Mixed traditional with competency-based model (generic outcome and intermediate competencies)
Stages	3 Stages Basic: two years. Clinical: two years and one year of internship. Professional: one year of mandatory social service.	4 Phases First phase: two years. Second phase: five semesters. Third phase: one year of internship. Fourth phase: one year of mandatory social service.