Predictive factors of success at the French National Ranking Examination (NRE): a retrospective study of the student performance from a French medical school

BACKGROUND: The national ranking examination (NRE) marks the end of the second cycle (6th university year) of French medical studies and ranks students allowing them to choose their specialty and city of residency. We studied the potential predictive factors of success at the 2015 NRE by students attending a French School of Medicine. METHODS: From March 2016 to March 2017, a retrospective study of factors associated with the 2015 NRE success was conducted and enrolled 242 students who attended their sixth year at the school of medicine of Reims. Demographic and academic data collected by a home-made survey was studied using univariate and then multivariate analysis by generalized linear regression with a threshold of p < 0.05 deemed significant. RESULTS: The factors independently associated with a better ranking at the NRE were the motivation for the preparation of the NRE (gain of 3327 ± 527 places, p < 0.0001); to have participated in the NRE white test organized by la Revue du Praticien in November 2014 (gain of 869 ± 426 places, p < 0.04), to have participated in the NRE white test organized by la conférence Hippocrate in March 2015 (+ 613 places ±297, p < 0.04). The factors independently associated with poor NRE ranking were repeating the first year (loss of 1410 places ±286, p < 0.0001), repeating a year during university course (loss of 1092 places ±385, p < 0.005), attendance of hospital internships in 6th year (loss of 706 places ±298, p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The student motivation and their white tests completion were significantly associated with success at the NRE. Conversely, repeating a university year during their course and attendance of 6th year hospital internships were associated with a lower ranking.