Medical Education

Many beliefs are strongly held about undergraduate medical student selection but without any “visible means of support”.   Myth 1: GCE A/L examination is an outdated method for student selection Myth 2: GCE A/L examination is not a valid and reliable selection method   Myth 3: In the past there have been students who were selected with very low A/L grades who went onto become excellent doctors and therefore the same criteria should continued to be applied Myth 4: Academic capacity is not an important factor to become a good doctor Myth 5: Entry criteria must be lowered since there are several deficiencies within the Sri Lankan educational system Myth 6: Sri Lankan government medical schools admit students with very low entry qualifications Myth 7: Free choice and desire should take priority over selection criteria Myth 1: GCE A/L examination is an outdated method for student selection In almost all the leading medical sch...

Equity, Merit and Need of the Country as the Basis for Selection of Students for Medical Education in Sri Lanka Most of the concerns seem to be based on the perception that the opportunities for medical education in Sri Lanka are severely restricted and the GCE A/L is not a valid, reliable and fair system for student selection. This is an attempt to analyze these issues through available data and evidence. Does the current system restrict opportunities for biology students? Let’s look at some data. In 2013, 40253 students sat for the GCE A/L in Biology stream; 20215 students got three S or more (50 % pass rate). Out of those 20215, over 7000 students got selected to the state universities (30% or one out of every three students who have passed) 1 . Now, lets compare this with the Arts stream, In 2013, 70, 000 students passed the examination and only 7000 got selected to the state universities (Only 10 %) 1 . Now where is the real restriction? ·  ...