Purpose Evaluating medical school selection tools is vital for evidence-based student selection. With previous reviews revealing knowledge gaps, this meta-analysis offers insights into the effectiveness of these selection tools.
Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted applying the following criteria: peer-reviewed articles available in English, published from 2010 and which include empirical data linking performance in selection tools with assessment and dropout outcomes of undergraduate entry medical programs. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, general opinion pieces, or commentaries were excluded. Effect sizes (ESs) of the predictability of academic and clinical performance within and by the end of the medicine program were extracted, and the pooled ESs were presented.
Results Sixty-seven out of 2,212 articles were included, which yielded 236 ESs. Previous academic achievement predicted medical program academic performance (Cohen’s d=0.697 in early program; 0.619 in end of program) and clinical exams (0.545 in end of program). Within aptitude tests, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning predicted academic achievement in the early program and in the last years (0.704 & 0.643, respectively). Overall aptitude tests predicted academic achievement in both the early and last years (0.550 & 0.371, respectively). Neither panel interviews, multiple mini-interviews, nor situational judgement tests (SJT) yielded statistically significant pooled ES.
Conclusion Current evidence suggests that learning outcomes are predicted by previous academic achievement and aptitude tests. The predictive value of SJT and topics such as selection algorithms, features of interview (e.g., content of the questions) and the way the interviewers’ reports are used, warrant further research.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Notice of Retraction and Replacement: Insights into undergraduate medical student selection tools: a systematic review and meta-analysis Pin-Hsiang Huang, Arash Arianpoor, Silas Taylor, Jenzel Gonzales, Boaz Shulruf Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions.2024; 21: 41. CrossRef
Purpose The study investigates the efficacy of new features introduced to the selection process for medical school at the University of New South Wales, Australia: (1) considering the relative ranks rather than scores of the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test and Australian Tertiary Admission Rank; (2) structured interview focusing on interpersonal interaction and concerns should the applicants become students; and (3) embracing interviewers’ diverse perspectives.
Methods Data from 5 cohorts of students were analyzed, comparing outcomes of the second year in the medicine program of 4 cohorts of the old selection process and 1 of the new process. The main analysis comprised multiple linear regression models for predicting academic, clinical, and professional outcomes, by section tools and demographic variables.
Results Selection interview marks from the new interview (512 applicants, 2 interviewers each) were analyzed for inter-rater reliability, which identified a high level of agreement (kappa=0.639). No such analysis was possible for the old interview since it required interviewers to reach a consensus. Multivariate linear regression models utilizing outcomes for 5 cohorts (N=905) revealed that the new selection process was much more effective in predicting academic and clinical achievement in the program (R2=9.4%–17.8% vs. R2=1.5%–8.4%).
Conclusion The results suggest that the medical student selection process can be significantly enhanced by employing a non-compensatory selection algorithm; and using a structured interview focusing on interpersonal interaction and concerns should the applicants become students; as well as embracing interviewers’ diverse perspectives.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Insights into undergraduate medical student selection tools: a systematic review and meta-analysis Pin-Hsiang Huang, Arash Arianpoor, Silas Taylor, Jenzel Gonzales, Boaz Shulruf Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions.2024; 21: 22. CrossRef
Purpose The primary aim of this study was to develop a survey addressing an individual’s non-cognitive traits, such as emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, social intelligence, psychological flexibility, and grit. Such a tool would provide beneficial information for the continued development of admissions standards and would help better capture the full breadth of experience and capabilities of applicants applying to doctor of physical therapy (DPT) programs.
Methods This was a cross-sectional survey study involving learners in DPT programs at 3 academic institutions in the United States. A survey was developed based on established non-proprietary, non-cognitive measures affiliated with success and resilience. The survey was assessed for face validity, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify subgroups of factors based on responses to the items.
Results A total of 298 participants (90.3%) completed all elements of the survey. EFA yielded 39 items for dimensional assessment with regression coefficients < 0.4. Within the 39 items, 3 latent constructs were identified: adaptability (16 items), intuitiveness (12 items), and engagement (11 items).
Conclusion This preliminary non-cognitive assessment survey will be able to play a valuable role in DPT admissions decisions following further examination and refinement.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
A Systematic Review of Variables Used in Physical Therapist Education Program Admissions Part 2: Noncognitive Variables Andrea N. Bowens Journal of Physical Therapy Education.2024; 38(3): 192. CrossRef
An exploration of the relationship between grit, reflection-in-learning, and academic performance in entry-level doctor of physical therapy students Elizabeth M Ardolino, Hazel Anderson, Katherine F Wilford Physiotherapy Theory and Practice.2024; : 1. CrossRef
Personal characteristic differences among Doctor of Physical Therapy students with unique sociodemographic factors Kelly Reynolds, Maggie Horn, Karen Huhn, Steven Z. George BMC Medical Education.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Emotional intelligence evaluation tools used in allied health students: A scoping review Debra Lee, Tracy Burrows, Daphne James, Ross Wilkinson, Yolanda Surjan Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Predictors of Success on the National Physical Therapy Examination in 2 US Accelerated-Hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs Breanna Reynolds, Casey Unverzagt, Alex Koszalinski, Roberta Gatlin, Jill Seale, Kendra Gagnon, Kareaion Eaton, Shane L. Koppenhaver Journal of Physical Therapy Education.2022; 36(3): 225. CrossRef
Grit, Resilience, Mindset, and Academic Success in Physical Therapist Students: A Cross-Sectional, Multicenter Study Marlena Calo, Belinda Judd, Lucy Chipchase, Felicity Blackstock, Casey L Peiris Physical Therapy.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Predicting graduate student performance – A case study Jinghua Nie, Ashrafee Hossain Journal of Further and Higher Education.2021; 45(4): 524. CrossRef
Examining Demographic and Preadmission Factors Predictive of First Year and Overall Program Success in a Public Physical Therapist Education Program Katy Mitchell, Jennifer Ellison, Elke Schaumberg, Peggy Gleeson, Christina Bickley, Anna Naiki, Severin Travis Journal of Physical Therapy Education.2021; 35(3): 203. CrossRef
Doctor of Physical Therapy Student Grit as a Predictor of Academic Success: A Pilot Study Rebecca Bliss, Erin Jacobson Health Professions Education.2020; 6(4): 522. CrossRef
Personality-oriented job analysis to identify non-cognitive factors predictive of performance in a doctor of physical therapy program in the United States Maureen Conard, Kristin Schweizer Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions.2018; 15: 34. CrossRef
Purpose The situational judgment test (SJT) shows promise for assessing the non-cognitive skills of medical school applicants, but has only been used in Europe. Since the admissions processes and education levels of applicants to medical school are different in the United States and in Europe, it is necessary to obtain validity evidence of the SJT based on a sample of United States applicants. Methods: Ninety SJT items were developed and Kane’s validity framework was used to create a test blueprint. A total of 489 applicants selected for assessment/interview day at the University of Utah School of Medicine during the 2014-2015 admissions cycle completed one of five SJTs, which assessed professionalism, coping with pressure, communication, patient focus, and teamwork. Item difficulty, each item’s discrimination index, internal consistency, and the categorization of items by two experts were used to create the test blueprint. Results: The majority of item scores were within an acceptable range of difficulty, as measured by the difficulty index (0.50-0.85) and had fair to good discrimination. However, internal consistency was low for each domain, and 63% of items appeared to assess multiple domains. The concordance of categorization between the two educational experts ranged from 24% to 76% across the five domains. Conclusion: The results of this study will help medical school admissions departments determine how to begin constructing a SJT. Further testing with a more representative sample is needed to determine if the SJT is a useful assessment tool for measuring the non-cognitive skills of medical school applicants.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
The interpretation-use argument– the essential ingredient for high quality assessment design and validation Jacqueline Raymond, David Wei Dai, Sue McAllister Advances in Health Sciences Education.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
An Integrative, Systematic Review of the Situational Judgment Test Literature Sven Kepes, Sheila K. Keener, Filip Lievens, Michael A. McDaniel Journal of Management.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
New Advances in Physician Assistant Admissions: The History of Situational Judgement Tests and the Development of CASPer Shalon R. Buchs, M. Jane McDaniel Journal of Physician Assistant Education.2021; 32(2): 87. CrossRef
The association between Situational Judgement Test (SJT) scores and professionalism concerns in undergraduate medical education Gurvinder S. Sahota, Jaspal S. Taggar Medical Teacher.2020; 42(8): 937. CrossRef
Exploring Behavioral Competencies for Effective Medical Practice in Nigeria Adanna Chukwuma, Uche Obi, Ifunanya Agu, Chinyere Mbachu Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
Situational judgment test validity: an exploratory model of the participant response process using cognitive and think-aloud interviews Michael D. Wolcott, Nikki G. Lobczowski, Jacqueline M. Zeeman, Jacqueline E. McLaughlin BMC Medical Education.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
Computerized test versus personal interview as admission methods for graduate nursing studies: A retrospective cohort study Koren Hazut, Pnina Romem, Smadar Malkin, Ilana Livshiz‐Riven Nursing & Health Sciences.2016; 18(4): 503. CrossRef
We compared and contrasted physician assistant and physical therapy profession admissions processes based on the similar number of accredited programs in the United States and the co-existence of many programs in the same school of health professions, because both professions conduct similar centralized application procedures administered by the same organization. Many studies are critical of the fallibility and inadequate scientific rigor of the high-stakes nature of health professions admissions decisions, yet typical admission processes remain very similar. Cognitive variables, most notably undergraduate grade point averages, have been shown to be the best predictors of academic achievement in the health professions. The variability of non-cognitive attributes assessed and the methods used to measure them have come under increasing scrutiny in the literature. The variance in health professions students’ performance in the classroom and on certifying examinations remains unexplained, and cognitive considerations vary considerably between and among programs that describe them. One uncertainty resulting from this review is whether or not desired candidate attributes highly sought after by individual programs are more student-centered or graduate-centered. Based on the findings from the literature, we suggest that student success in the classroom versus the clinic is based on a different set of variables. Given the range of positions and general lack of reliability and validity in studies of non-cognitive admissions attributes, we think that health professions admissions processes remain imperfect works in progress.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Recruitment Strategies and Holistic Review in Increasing URM Student Populations in PA Programs: A Review of Literature
Michelle Gamber, Kelton Black Higher Education Research.2025; 10(1): 31. CrossRef
The Impact of Graduate Record Exam Threshold Scores in Disqualifying Underrepresented Ethnic–Racial Minority Applicants for Admission to a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Bryan Coleman-Salgado, Brian Moore Journal of Physical Therapy Education.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Lessons Learned From Conducting Virtual Multiple Mini Interviews During the COVID-19 Pandemic Veronica Coleman, Bau Tran, Jijia Wang, Samarpita Sengupta, Isela Edna Perez, Temple Howell-Stampley, P. Eugene Jones The Journal of Physician Assistant Education.2024; 35(3): 287. CrossRef
TESOT: a teaching modality targeting the learning obstacles in global medical education Xiaoran Wang, Xiao-Yu Liu, Shuwei Jia, Runsheng Jiao, Yunhong Zhang, Liyong Tang, Xiaoli Ni, Hui Zhu, Fengmin Zhang, Vladimir Parpura, Yu-Feng Wang Advances in Physiology Education.2021; 45(2): 333. CrossRef
Examining Demographic and Preadmission Factors Predictive of First Year and Overall Program Success in a Public Physical Therapist Education Program Katy Mitchell, Jennifer Ellison, Elke Schaumberg, Peggy Gleeson, Christina Bickley, Anna Naiki, Severin Travis Journal of Physical Therapy Education.2021; 35(3): 203. CrossRef
Effect of Repeating Undergraduate Prerequisite Courses on Academic Performance in Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Richard C. Clark, Yi-Po Chiu Journal of Physical Therapy Education.2019; 33(1): 49. CrossRef
Current Practices and Perceptions of Admission Criteria at Physical Therapist Education Programs in the United States Katy Mitchell, Jennifer Ellison, Peggy Gleeson Journal of Physical Therapy Education.2019; 33(1): 55. CrossRef
Preadmission predictors of graduation success from a physical therapy education program in the United States Gretchen Roman, Matthew Paul Buman Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions.2019; 16: 5. CrossRef
Using the Core Competencies for New Physician Assistant Graduates to Prioritize Admission Criteria for PA Practice in 2025 Constance Goldgar, Karen J. Hills, Stephane P. VanderMeulen, Jennifer A. Snyder, William C. Kohlhepp, Steven Lane Journal of Physician Assistant Education.2019; 30(2): 111. CrossRef
Noncognitive Attributes in Physician Assistant Education Anthony E. Brenneman, Constance Goldgar, Karen J. Hills, Jennifer H. Snyder, Stephane P. VanderMeulen, Steven Lane Journal of Physician Assistant Education.2018; 29(1): 25. CrossRef
Identifying Demographic and Preadmission Factors Predictive of Success on the National Physical Therapy Licensure Examination for Graduates of a Public Physical Therapist Education Program Bryan Coleman-Salgado, Edward Barakatt Journal of Physical Therapy Education.2018; 32(1): 8. CrossRef