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Development and pilot testing of a multiple mini-interview for admission to a pharmacy degree program
Andrea J Cameron1, Linda D Mackeigan
1Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. aj.cameron@utoronto.ca
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
|March 14, 2012
Summary
A new multiple mini-interview (MMI) effectively assesses nonacademic attributes for pharmacy school admissions. This reliable tool complements existing metrics like the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) and prepharmacy average (PPA).
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy education
- Admissions assessment
- Nonacademic attribute evaluation
Background:
- Traditional admissions tools may not fully capture essential nonacademic qualities for pharmacy practice.
- Developing reliable and valid assessment methods is crucial for selecting competent future pharmacists.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and pilot test a multiple mini-interview (MMI) as an admissions tool for a pharmacy degree program.
- To assess the reliability and validity of the MMI in evaluating nonacademic attributes.
Main Methods:
- A nominal group process identified 8 key nonacademic pharmacist attributes.
- A 10-station MMI was developed based on these attributes and pilot tested with 30 incoming pharmacy students.
- Interviewer and candidate feedback, along with score reliability (ICC) and correlations with PCAT and PPA, were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The MMI demonstrated good reliability, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.77.
- MMI scores showed negligible correlation with the prepharmacy average (PPA) and Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) composite scores.
- Both candidates and interviewers found the station scenarios to have face validity.
Conclusions:
- The multiple mini-interview (MMI) is a feasible and reliable admissions tool for pharmacy programs.
- The MMI assesses different attributes than the PCAT and PPA, providing complementary information for student selection.
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