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Utility of a writing station in the multiple mini-interview
Malathi Raghavan1, Margaret Burnett, Bruce D Martin
1American Veterinary Medical Association, Schaumburg, IL 60173, USA. Malathi.Raghavan@med.umanitaba.ca
Journal of Veterinary Medical Education
|May 24, 2013
Summary
Adding a writing station (WS) to the multiple mini-interview (MMI) process increases applicant interview capacity by 9% without significantly increasing interviewer workload. This innovation enhances efficiency in health professional school admissions.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Admissions Processes
- Non-cognitive Assessment
Background:
- The multiple mini-interview (MMI) is a validated tool for assessing non-cognitive traits in health professional school applicants.
- The MMI's sequential station format can be resource-intensive, necessitating efficiency innovations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of incorporating an unsupervised writing station (WS) into the MMI.
- To assess the feasibility of increasing applicant interview capacity and score diversity through WS integration.
Main Methods:
- A 10-minute unsupervised writing station (WS) was added to an 11-station MMI at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine.
- One assessor scored all writing samples (1-7 scale); oral station (OS) scores were also collected.
- Applicant interview capacity and correlations between WS and OS scores were analyzed over four years (2008-2011).
Main Results:
- The inclusion of a WS increased interview capacity by 9% (from 297 to 324 applicants) without a substantial increase in daily interviewer hours.
- Mean WS score was 4.03 (SD=1.36) for 1,257 applicants; mean OS score was 4.62 (SD=0.69).
- Correlations between WS scores and mean OS scores ranged from .16 to .27 (p<.01), comparable to inter-station OS correlations.
Conclusions:
- Integrating a writing station into the MMI is an effective strategy to enhance institutional interview capacity.
- The WS provides an independent measure of applicant skills and contributes reasonably to the overall MMI assessment.
- Medical schools seeking to optimize MMI efficiency should consider incorporating a writing station.
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