SOCIO -DEMOGRAPHY, PERSONALITY PROFILE AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF MEDICAL STUDENTS

To compare the Scheduled Caste (SC) & Scheduled Tribe (ST) students with general students regarding their school and family background, personality profile and personal problems, a stratified systematic sample of 261 medical students was taken who filled up their individual set of questionnaires consisting of semistructured sociodemographic proforma, Personality Trait Inventory (PTI) and Students Personal Problems Index. Statistically significant differences were observed when schooling, family income, parents education and occupation and academic performance of general, SC and ST students were compared. Although no statistical differences on personality trait were observed, on activity and cyclothymic personality trait SC and ST students scored less, whereas, they scored more on depressive tendency, emotional instability and social desirability personality traits. The personal problems were different in three groups and also the number of attempts made to pass their professional examinations. Intervention measures have been suggested.