Constructing a more comprehensive validity argument for medical school admission testing: predicting long-term outcomes

The research published outside of medical education journals provides an important source of validity evidence for using cognitive ability testing in medical school admissions.

The cumulative body of validity research, consisting of thousands of studies and scores of meta-analyses, has conclusively demonstrated that a strong positive relationship exists between job performance and general mental ability.

Recommendations for reducing the emphasis on or eliminating the role of general mental ability in the selection process for medical schools are not based on a consideration of the wider research evidence. Admission interventions that substantially reduce the level of academic aptitude are also likely to result in reduced professional performance.