The Multiple Mini Interview for admission to nursing - male perspectives

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical School Admissions
• Healthcare Professions

Background:

• Multiple mini interviews (MMIs) are increasingly used for undergraduate selection in healthcare.
• The impact of MMIs on gender diversity initiatives, particularly for male applicants, remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the perspectives of male candidates undergoing recruitment for a nursing degree program using MMIs.
• To assess the MMI process's impact on male applicants and its role in gender diversity.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research approach utilizing a thematic framework.
• Focus groups conducted with eight male students who participated in the MMI process between January and April 2018.

Main Results:

• Male respondents perceived the MMI process as stressful, with specific stations exacerbating stress due to gender-related scenarios.
• Despite stress, participants considered MMIs a satisfactory and valid selection tool.
• Candidates were conscious of gender issues within some MMI scenarios.

Conclusions:

• MMIs are a valid selection process for nursing programs, even with perceived imperfections.
• The MMI process, despite being in a female-dominated field, did not appear to disadvantage male candidates.
• Further research across multiple nursing and medical schools is recommended to validate MMI impact on male applicants.