Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Abstract Background: Considering the increasing importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in different
aspects of life, such as academic achievement, the present survey is aimed to predict academic
performance of medical students in the comprehensive examination of the basic sciences, according
to the indices of emotional intelligence and educational status. Materials and Methods: The present
survey is a descriptive, analytical, and cross‑sectional study performed on the medical students
of Isfahan, Tehran, and Mashhad Universities of Medical Sciences. Sampling the universities was
performed randomly after which selecting the students was done, taking into consideration the
limitation in their numbers. Based on the inclusion criteria, all the medical students, entrance of
2005, who had attended the comprehensive basic sciences examination in 2008, entered the
study. The data collection tools included an Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (standardized in
Isfahan), the average score of the first to fifth semesters, total average of each of the five semesters,
and the grade of the comprehensive basic sciences examination. The data were analyzed through
stepwise regression coefficient by SPSS software version 15. Results: The results indicated
that the indicators of independence from an emotional intelligence test and average scores of
the first and third academic semesters were significant in predicting the students’ academic
performance in the comprehensive basic sciences examination. Conclusion: According to the
obtained results, the average scores of students, especially in the earlier semesters, as well as
the indicators of independence and the self‑esteem rate of students can influence their success
in the comprehensive basic sciences examination.