Perception of educational environment and academic performance in a medical school of Lima: A longitudinal study

Introduction: The objective was to determinate whether the variation of the scores of perception of educational environment are associated with the variation in academic performance in medical students of a public university during 2014 – 2018. Methods: A longitudinal study. Educational environment was assessed by Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). The participants were the medical students of the second year of studies in 2014 who were evaluated for second time in 2018. Paired t-test was used to compare means of DREEM. The relationship between perception of educational environment and academic performance was evaluated by generalized estimation equations. Results: There was no significate difference between global means of DREEM (Δ = 1,6; 95% CI: –3,5 to 6,7; P = .53). There was no association between variations in DREEM scores and variations in academic performance (OR = 1,0; 95% CI: 1,0 to 1,0; P = .72). There was an association with age (OR = 1,1; 95% CI: 1,1 to 1,2; P < .001), female sex (OR = 1,1; 95% CI: 1,6 to 3,5; P < .001) y no retention (OR = 1,6; 95% CI: 1,0 to 2,4; P = .005). Conclusion: There was no association between the difference of perception of educational environment and the differences of academic performance.