How different are premedical freshmen who enter after introducing a multiple mini-interview in a medical school?

Seoul National University College of Medicine (SNUMC) introduced a multiple mini-interview (MMI) to assess the noncognitive ability of applicants in 2013. This study aims to examine whether students differ with regard to their personal career values and academic achievements by admission type.

We administered a survey about career values and self-perception of competencies. We then compared the survey results and academic achievements by admission type. Finally, the correlation coefficient between MMI score and academic achievement was calculated in the MMI group. The data were analyzed by t-test and correlation analysis.

There was no statistically significant difference in career values between groups. For self-perception of competency, only the 'interact in heterogeneous groups' domain was higher for those who entered through the MMI. The MMI group had a higher and broader level of academic achievement. Within the MMI group, there was a significant correlation between grade point average and MMI station scores.

The characteristics of students who entered through the MMI were more in accordance with the goals of SNUMC and the competency of future doctors. Considering the unique feature of premedical academic achievement, this result implies that such students have superior noncognitive abilities, such as self-development and internal motivation. How these differences change subsequently remains to be seen.