Abstract
Objective
Our objective was to compare the association between norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced items and faculty consensus ratings of applicant competitiveness based on the two most recent versions of the emergency medicine (EM) standardized letter of evaluation (SLOE).
Methods
Faculty consensus ratings of mock EM SLOE competitiveness were obtained from prior studies of the current (2022) and previous (2016) SLOE formats. Items from each SLOE version were categorized by scope as either (1) focused or (2) global and by their referencing as (1) norm-referenced, (2) criterion-referenced, or (3) mixed. We used a linear regression model to measure the association between individual items and consensus rankings of SLOE competitiveness. We then evaluated which item types were most associated with competitiveness rankings.
Results
Regarding scope, five items were focused and four were global in the 2016 SLOE compared to 11 focused items and two global items in the 2022 SLOE. The 2016 version of the SLOE contained eight norm-referenced items and one criterion-referenced item compared to four criterion-referenced items, two norm-referenced items, and seven mixed items in the 2022 version. Two items were significantly associated with competitiveness rankings in the 2016 SLOE. Both were global in scope and norm-referenced. Only one item was significantly associated with competitiveness rankings in the 2022 SLOE-the global norm-referenced item regarding the anticipated rank position.
Conclusion
Only global norm-referenced items were significantly associated with faculty competitiveness ratings across two versions of the EM SLOE, which place different emphasis on norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced items. If the ability to stratify applicants remains a priority of the EM SLOE, global norm-referenced assessments should continue to be included.