Introduction

One of the management aims in medical schools and faculties should be that the students pass the course and acquire sufficient skills to perform effectively in clinical practice. However, certain fundamental characteristics of the student must be recognised in order to achieve the purpose of training in Medicine, as well as teaching skills.

Objective

To compare the association between some social factors among medical students, according to their academic status.

Method

An observational, prospective and comparative study was conducted during the 2013-02 academic year on 336 medical students from a private school in southern Tamaulipas. The students included were between the second and seventh semester and agreed to participate in the study by completing a questionnaire about social factors related to academic performance.

Means were use in statistical analysis of quantitative variables, and standard deviations and percentages for qualitative variables. Chi squared was used with a significance level of P = .05 to compare the frequency of the different factors in the groups studied.

Results

There was a higher frequency of being an irregular student in females (52.4 vs. 47.6%). The educational level of the parents showed no statistically significant association with being a regular or irregular student.

Conclusions

There is a positive association between the fact of living with both parents and being a regular student. Satisfaction perceived by student family function was not associated with being a regular student.