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Discerning quality: using the multiple mini‐interview in student selection for the Australian National University Medical School
Author(s) -
Harris Susanna,
Owen Cathy
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
medical education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1365-2923
pISSN - 0308-0110
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2929.2007.02682.x
Subject(s) - graduation (instrument) , interview , medical education , psychology , quality (philosophy) , set (abstract data type) , medical school , applied psychology , family medicine , medicine , computer science , philosophy , geometry , mathematics , epistemology , political science , law , programming language
Objective To describe the development and pilot testing of a set of admissions instruments based on the McMaster University multiple mini‐interview (MMI) and designed to assess desirable, non‐cognitive characteristics in order to inform final decisions on candidate selection for entry to medical school. Methods Community and faculty consultation on desirable, non‐cognitive characteristics of medical students informed the development of a 10‐station interview. Two stations occurred as part of a group problem‐based learning scenario and 8 occurred as individual observations. All interviewers were trained. Interviews were offered to 115 candidates on an academic merit list. Interview performance was used to exclude candidates considered unsuitable, but not to re‐order the academic merit list. Admissions decisions were examined in terms of individual interview station performance. Results This method proved to be an efficient process by which to interview candidates and to determine suitability. Retained and rejected candidates had significantly different total scores and mean scores for each station. Ten independent observations contributed to each decision, without significant interviewer or logistic burden. Candidates reported high levels of satisfaction with the interview process. Conclusions Admissions interviews can be streamlined and efficient, yet remain informative. A longitudinal study is in progress to evaluate the value of the admissions processes in predicting successful graduation to medical practice.