From: Residents in difficulty—just slower learners? a case–control study
Category name | Description |
---|---|
Poor organizational skills | Applications for dispensations due to missed deadlines, e.g. late registrations for exams or submission of assignments, etc. |
Pregnancy | Applications for extended examination time, changes in order and timing of courses and examinations, etc. due to pregnancy. |
Family problems | Applications grounded in problematic or serious familial events or situations, e.g. burials, parental responsibilities, life threatening disease, etc. |
Impairment | Applications—typically relating to examinations (i.e. extended examination time, extra exam attempts, re-examinations)—which were caused by chronic illnesses, handicaps, or dyslexia. |
Academic problems | Applications for a 4th or 5th exam attempt where no causes were given, as well as applications for remediation activities. |
Illness | Applications for re-examinations on grounds of shorter lasting illnesses such as influenza, etc. |
Study plan deviations | Applications for changes from the standard study plan, i.e. changes in the order of subjects, time of examination, etc. We distinguished between three subcategories of study plan deviations: positive, neutral or negative. In the positive subcategory the causes related to relevant research or international exchange activities, etc. In the neutral category we were either unable to ascertain a cause or unable to determine whether a cause was positive or negative. Finally, in the negative deviations category, there were clear signs of students prioritizing other activities above medical school activities, for example: holidays booked during terms, family birthdays, sport activities, etc., or signs that students were struggling to keep up with the ordinary study plan. |
Merits | Applications for merits for courses taken in other programs, or advance approval of planned relevant educational activities such as electives and placements, etc. |