Progress test performance of medical students admitted via the medical education preparation program

The progress test is a periodic evaluation designed to assess the development of medical students' knowledge during the professional stage. The Medical Education Preparation Program (Program Persiapan Pendidikan Dokter/P3D) was established as part of a widening participation initiative to expand inclusive access to medical education. This study aimed to analyze differences in progress test scores between P3D and regular students at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang. An analytical observational study with a retrospective cohort design was conducted using secondary data from progress test scores collected between 2022 and 2024. A total of 116 students were selected through random sampling, and the data were analyzed using independent t-tests and linear regression. The results showed no significant difference in progress test scores between P3D and regular students (<i>p</i> = 0.891). However, a significant difference was observed in the 2016 cohort (<i>p</i> = 0.004), with P3D students achieving higher mean scores. A decline in performance among more recent cohorts may have been influenced by external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In conclusion, the academic performance of P3D and regular students was generally equivalent, indicating that the program effectively prepares students for the clinical rotation stage. These findings support the continuation of P3D as an inclusive admission pathway to strengthen the quality of medical education.