A STUDY ON PREDICTING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE FIRST YEAR MEDICAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS Vijaya Ramanathan * 1 , Pananghat A. Kumar 2 , Anand Ramanathan 3 . *1 Department of Anatomy, Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Enathur, Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu, India. 2 Department of Anatomy and Co-ordinator, Clinical Simulation Laboratory, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. 3  Oral & Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences, Oral Cancer Research and Coordinating Centre, Faculty of  Dentistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Corresponding    author:     Dr.Vijaya    Ramanathan,    Department    of    Anatomy,    Meenakshi    Medical    College    and    Research    Institute,    Enathur,    Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu, India. E-Mail:  viji_vairavan@yahoo.com ABSTRACT Background:   Students   in   many   Asian   countries   are   qualified   to   seek   admission   to   undergraduate   medical   degree   soon   after   they   leave   the   secondary schools.   Selection   criteria   vary   in   different   countries.   In   an   effort   to   standardise   the   admission   procedures   Medical   Council   of   India(MCI)   has   introduced National   Eligibility   Cum   Entrance   Test   (NEET)   as   the   entry   requirement   for   the   undergraduate   medical   course   from   this   year.   In   addition   to   the   scholastic success guided by cognitive factors, non-cognitive factors could also have a direct positive relationship to student’s academic performance. Materials   and   Methods:    One   hundred   and   fifty   two,   first   year   medical   undergraduate   students   were   briefed   about   this   project.   The   students   filled   a questionnaire   containing   70   items   distributed   in   3   sections   (i)   Preliminary   interview   (ii)   Learning   strategy   survey   and   (iii)   Approaches   to   study   skills inventory (ASSIST). The scores were analysed statistically and any correlation between parameters were identified Results:    Majority   of         students   in   this   cohort   were   well   motivated.   The   number   of   students   with   inadequate      learning   strategies   were   more,   compared   to those with well equipped strategies. The deep and strategic approach had moderately high scores compared to surface apathetic approach. Conclusion:       Small         number   of   students   were   not   motivated   and   needed   to   be   guided   in   this   aspect.   Many   students   needed   monitoring   especially   in   their learning and test taking strategies. Moreover surface apathetic approach (fear factor) required to be eliminated effectively by faculty members. KEY   WORDS:    academic   performance,   undergraduate   medical   students,   National   Eligibility   Cum   Entrance   Test   (NEET),   cognitive   factors,   non   cognitive factors, learning strategies,  deep approach, strategic approach, surface apathetic approach, motivation. References 1 . James   D,   Chilvers   C.   Academic   and   non-academic   predictors   of   success   on   the   Nottingham   Undergraduate   medical   course   1970-1995.   Med   Educ. 2001;35:1056-1064. 2 . 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