Subjective and objective admissions factors as predictors of clinical clerkship performance

Subjective and objective measures available at the time of medical school admission were related to subjective and objective clinical performance measures during medical school. Strategies were developed for coding narrative faculty comments from admissions interviews and clinical performance evaluations. Factor analysis was used to examine underlying structures for both admission and clinical performance measures. Summed scores were calculated to represent each factor, and multiple regression was used in predicting each of the clinical factors from the admission factors. Multiple regression showed that admission interview comments best predict narrative clerkship performance, while objective scores best predict an objective measure of clinical knowledge. Conclusions were: (a) narrative information can be coded reliably. (b) Objective and subjective measures are distinct, identifiable structures both at admission and during the third year of medical school. (c) Prediction formulas will vary depending on what outcome variables are chosen.