Introduction: Dropout and graduation delay in higher education programs are a major problem worldwide, therefore also in Colombia, where it affects about 50% of the students, a fact that produces a high personal, social and economic impact. Objective: To describe the characteristics of the dropout and graduation delay of Medical School students at the El Rosario University, and its associated variables. Materials and methods: A retrospective, descriptive study of the two cohorts admitted in 2003 and of the academic information of students enrolled during the years 2003 through 2008 was performed. Data were analyzed from longitudinal and transversal perspectives. Results: Longitudinal analysis showed that both cohorts admitted in 2003 had a dropout rate of 47% and 36%, graduation delay of 29% and 36%;and 22% and 19% of the students, respectively, obtained their degree in the expected time. The mean dropout per academic period between 2003 and 2008 was 7.1%. The main reazon for dropout was academic failure. Discussion: The dropout and graduation delay rates in the traditional curriculum of the Medical School between 2003 and 2008 were high, similar to those found in higher education in Colombia. Among the complexity that characterizes this phenomenon, teaching strategies and academic and curricular aspects seem to play a major role. This historical cohort and the associated dropout indicators will serve as a basis for comparison for the new curriculum of the Medical School program recently established.
