Purpose: The Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines mandates a minimum National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) percentile rank—typically the 40th percentile—for medical school admission. However, percentile rank is cohort-dependent and varies in meaning across testing years. This study re-examined its validity as an admissions criterion and evaluated whether the NMAT General Performance Score (GPS), a standardized z-score, offers a more stable and valid basis for predicting academic performance. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 42,261 first-time Physician Licensure Examination (PLE) takers from 2012 to 2022. NMAT and PLE records were linked, and logistic regression models were used to assess associations between NMAT scores and PLE outcomes. Predictive performance was evaluated using both receiver operating characteristic (ROC–Youden) and Precision–Recall (PR–F1) analyses to identify optimal cutoffs. Results: Percentile ranks exhibited substantial year-to-year variability, with the same percentile corresponding to different GPS scores. A pooled GPS-to-percentile crosswalk is provided for interpretive reference but does not indicate fixed rank equivalence. In contrast, PR-F1 analysis of GPS appropriate for an imbalanced dataset showed consistent predictive validity (area under the ROC curve=0.918). The ROC–Youden index identified a cutoff at GPS=581, while the F1-optimized threshold was lower (GPS=377), favoring inclusivity. A midpoint cutoff (GPS=435) balanced stringency and access. Conclusion The NMAT GPS is a more stable and equitable predictor of licensure performance than percentile rank. Its use may improve the fairness and consistency of medical school admissions and better align selection with long-term academic outcomes.

Background: Workplace-based assessments, such as the mini-clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX), are increasingly used to evaluate clinical competence in authentic healthcare settings. This study aimed to map and evaluate the global research landscape of mini- CEX in nursing and dental education through bibliometric analysis. Methods: A literature search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection on July 1, 2025, using the terms “mini-CEX,” “mini clinical evaluation exercise,” “nursing,” “nurse,” “dental,” and “dentistry.” Eligible articles were studies published in English that involved learners or educators in nursing or dental education. Data such as publication metrics, authorship, affiliations, keyword co-occurrence, journal impact, and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) alignment were extracted and analyzed. Results: Thirty-seven articles were included. They received 229 citations, with an h-index of nine and an average of 6.19 citations per article. Most were indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded or the Social Sciences Citation Index (67.6%), and 42.9% were published in Quartile 1 journals. The majority aligned with SDG 04 (Quality Education). Nursing-focused studies outnumbered dental studies. Authorship networks were fragmented, with limited cross-institutional collaboration. BMC Medical Education was the leading journal, and 2022 saw the highest number of publications. From 2020 onwards, both publication and citation counts increased significantly (p<0.01). Iran and China contributed the most articles. Keyword analysis revealed five clusters: “skills,” “mini-CEX,” “clinical competence,” “competence,” and “impact.” Conclusion Research on mini-CEX in nursing and dental education is expanding, yet enhanced interprofessional collaboration is needed to maximize its global scholarly and practical impact.

Competency-Based Education ; Education, Medical ; methods ; Health Personnel ; education ; Humans ; Philippines ; Program Evaluation ; Teaching ; methods

INTRODUCTIONAs of 2001, the Philippines ranks 7th among the world's 22 countries with a heavy tuberculosis (TB) burden. As the country accelerates its campaign to control the global epidemic, the Philippine Tuberculosis Initiatives for the Private Sector (PhilTIPS) joined the efforts to combat it through the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) strategy and brought it to the level of medical schools. PhilTIPS commissioned this work to develop an evidence-based medical curriculum with strong and conscious integration of TB-DOTS.

MATERIALS AND METHODSIn the needs assessment, curricula, sample tests, and syllabi were reviewed. Deans and curriculum committee chairs were also asked to answer a questionnaire dealing with how TB, TB control and DOTS were taught. Based on the needs assessment, the TB control-DOTS core curriculum was developed. Ten months after its implementation, a monitoring evaluation was conducted through questionnaires, review of records and key informant interviews.

DISCUSSIONRepresentative samples of 18 out of 32 schools participated in the needs assessment and monitoring phase. Data revealed that the biomedical and clinical aspects of TB are emphasised in all schools. But only 7 out of 18 (38.89%) actually dealt with DOTS. A competency-based, integrated, and interactive TB-DOTS curriculum was then developed. The competencies around which the curriculum was designed were: (1) a thorough understanding of TB as a biomedical and social phenomenon; (2) the management of TB patients; and (3) an adherence to DOTS in managing TB patients. The curriculum was reviewed by local and international panelists, and implemented in 2003 to 2004. Monitoring evaluation 10 months later revealed that this curriculum was minimally to moderately integrated by medical schools. The study exhorts all medical schools to empower their graduates with competence in TB-DOTS.

Curriculum ; Directly Observed Therapy ; Humans ; Philippines ; Population Surveillance ; Program Development ; Public Health ; Schools, Medical ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tuberculosis ; prevention & control