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Medical School Applicant Characteristics Associated With Performance in Multiple Mini-Interviews Versus Traditional
Mark C Henderson1, Carolyn J Kelly, Erin Griffin
1M.C. Henderson is professor, Department of Internal Medicine, and associate dean for admissions, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California. C.J. Kelly is professor, Department of Medicine, and associate dean for admissions and student affairs, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, California. E.J. Griffin is lead medical education evaluator, Office of Medical Education, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California. T.R. Hall is professor, Department of Radiology, and associate dean for admissions, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California. A. Jerant is professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California. E.M. Peterson is professor, Department of Pathology, and associate dean for admissions, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California. J.A. Rainwater is director of evaluation, Schools of Health and Clinical and Translational Science Center, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California. F.J. Sousa is assistant dean for admissions, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California. D. Wofsy is professor, Department of Medicine, and associate dean for admissions, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California. P. Franks is professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California.
Disadvantaged (DA) applicants performed better in traditional interviews (TI) but worse in multiple mini-interviews (MMI). These findings on applicant characteristics impacting interview performance have workforce implications.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education Research
- Health Professions Admissions
- Socioeconomic Factors in Healthcare
Background:
- Medical school admissions utilize interviews to assess applicant suitability.
- Traditional interviews (TI) and multiple mini-interviews (MMI) are common assessment methods.
- Understanding how applicant characteristics influence interview performance is crucial for equitable admissions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between applicant characteristics and performance in both multiple mini-interviews (MMI) and traditional interviews (TI).
- To compare interview performance across different applicant demographics at five California medical schools.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of admissions data from 2011-2013 for 4,993 applicants across five California medical schools.
- Data included applicant demographics (age, gender, race/ethnicity, disadvantaged status), GPA, MCAT scores, and interview scores (standardized z-scores).
- Adjusted linear regression analyses were performed, stratified by interview type (MMI vs. TI).
Main Results:
- Older age, female gender, and prior interview experience correlated with better performance in both MMI and TI.
- Higher undergraduate GPA was linked to lower MMI scores but not TI scores.
- Disadvantaged (DA) applicants scored higher in TI but lower in MMI compared to non-DA applicants.
- Underrepresented in medicine (UIM) status and MCAT scores showed no significant association with interview performance.
Conclusions:
- Applicant characteristics differentially impact performance in MMI versus TI formats.
- The lower MMI performance of disadvantaged applicants warrants further investigation due to potential workforce implications.
- Multi-institutional studies are needed to validate these findings and inform equitable admissions practices.
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