The simulated tutorial. Method for assessing medical school applicants

The simulated tutorial is a method for selecting medical students by their performance in a small problem-solving group, currently being tested at McMaster University. Four hundred and thirty-two applicants were randomly allocated to groups consisting of 5 or 6 members, assigned a group leader, and asked to work through two unstructured problem situations in a 50-minute session. Assessors, seated behind a one-way mirror, evaluated applicants according to their abilities to relate to their peers, to function in the group, and to define issues in the problem situations. Feedback from the assessors and applicants suggests that the simulated tutorial is potentially useful as a selection tool. All assessors thought they were able to evaluate the 5 or 6 applicants in the group in the time provided. Nearly 80% of the applicants who anonymously returned questionnaires felt they were able to express themselves during their simulated tutorial. The data also suggest that applicants with experience in small groups and applicants previously rated as having outstanding 'personal qualities' are given higher ratings than other applicants. A validation study of the simulated tutorial, comparing individual's scores with evaluations of performance in tutorial groups in the undergraduate M.D. programme, is currently in progress.