Medical College Admissions: A Review of Global Practices and Points for Bangladesh

Student selection processes in medical educational institutions vary widely across countries. This review summarizes the approaches used for selecting medical students in different national contexts and explores their relevance for the further development of the medical admission process in Bangladesh. Literature searches were conducted in Google Scholar and PubMed using keywords derived from the research question, including "medical school", "admission criteria" and "student selection". Retrieved articles were screened for relevance and organized according to country of publication. Findings from each country were then examined and compared using a narrative synthesis approach. Best practices were recommended for Bangladesh. The countries included in this review were Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, North America (the USA and Canada), the United Kingdom, Germany, Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and Fiji) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa). Among these settings, some countries employ centralized medical admission systems, while others utilize nationwide entrance examinations. These assessments commonly evaluate cognitive abilities, with several systems also incorporating non-cognitive domains. A small number of countries do not operate centralized admission mechanisms and primarily rely on measures of cognitive academic achievement. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of integrating both cognitive and non-cognitive criteria in medical school admissions to ensure the selection of candidates with appropriate academic competence and professional attitudes.