The relationship between the reading comprehension and academic performance of pharmacy students in university and on the National Pharmacist Exam

Abstract

This study examined the reading comprehension skills of sixth-year pharmacy students in Japan and compared them to the results of university exams and the National Pharmacist Examination. The median deviation score in reading comprehension was about 63, but the scores of some students were less than 50. The results showed that students with lower academic performance over the first five years of the pharmacy program showed lower “representation” abilities. Also, students who failed the national examination had fewer “inference” abilities than those who passed. The students’ results were divided into four groups based on their reading comprehension characteristics. Students who scored low in “inference,” “representation,” and “instantiation” also performed poorly academically and on mock national examinations. These results suggested that reading comprehension influences whether one passes the National Pharmacist Examination. Therefore, reading comprehension skills are fundamental in the education and guidance of pharmacy students.