Multiple independent sampling within medical school admission interviewing: an "intermediate approach"

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Admissions Interviewing
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Medical schools face challenges balancing interview reliability, resource constraints, and recruitment.
• The Modified Personal Interview (MPI) demonstrates good psychometric properties and resource efficiency for admissions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of an adapted MPI at the University of Toronto.
• To integrate psychometric rigor with resourcing and recruitment goals for large-scale admissions interviewing.

Main Methods:

• MPI implemented in the 2013-2014 cycle using multiple independent sampling (four brief interviews).
• Increased interview time aimed to enhance applicant experience.
• Psychometric evaluation included generalizability studies; impact on recruitment yield and resources was assessed.

Main Results:

• MPI achieved a reliability of 0.56.
• Recruitment yield was maintained compared to the previous year.
• Interviewer requirements decreased significantly (160 for 600 applicants vs. 290 for 587 applicants).
• MPI scores correlated with first-year OSCE performance (r=0.30, p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• The adapted MPI demonstrates acceptable reliability (0.56) with improved resource utilization and maintained recruitment.
• This 'intermediate approach' supports broader adoption of multiple independent sampling in admissions interviewing.
• The method aligns with institutional resourcing and recruitment objectives.