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Published on: November 9, 2018
A comparison of behavioral and multiple mini-interview formats in physician assistant program admissions
P Eugene Jones1, J Glenn Forister
1University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Physician Assistant Studies, Dallas, USA. eugene.jones@utsouthwestern.edu
Summary
The multiple mini-interview (MMI) is a more effective tool than behavioral interviews for assessing noncognitive traits in physician assistant program applicants. MMI better identifies professionalism and organizational fit.
Area of Science:
- Health Professions Education
- Admissions Assessment
- Noncognitive Skills Measurement
Background:
- Interviews are standard in health professions admissions.
- Assessing noncognitive behaviors is crucial for applicant selection.
- Comparing interview formats is essential for optimizing admissions processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of behavioral interviews versus multiple mini-interviews (MMI).
- To evaluate the ability of each format to measure desired noncognitive behaviors in physician assistant (PA) program applicants.
Main Methods:
- A dual cohort, observational study involving 176 PA program applicants.
- One group underwent behavioral interviews (2x20 min); the other completed MMI (10x7 min stations).
- Rasch analysis was used to analyze applicant performance and station difficulty.
Main Results:
- Both formats showed similar model fit.
- Behavioral interviews inadequately measured applicant differences.
- MMI demonstrated greater variation in noncognitive traits and better person-ability/station-difficulty matching.
Conclusions:
- MMI is a more reliable admissions tool for detecting latent professionalism in PA applicants.
- MMI better assesses professional potential and organizational fit compared to behavioral interviews.
- Further multi-program studies are recommended to validate these findings.
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