Purpose The study investigates the efficacy of new features introduced to the selection process for medical school at the University of New South Wales, Australia: (1) considering the relative ranks rather than scores of the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test and Australian Tertiary Admission Rank; (2) structured interview focusing on interpersonal interaction and concerns should the applicants become students; and (3) embracing interviewers’ diverse perspectives.
Methods Data from 5 cohorts of students were analyzed, comparing outcomes of the second year in the medicine program of 4 cohorts of the old selection process and 1 of the new process. The main analysis comprised multiple linear regression models for predicting academic, clinical, and professional outcomes, by section tools and demographic variables.
Results Selection interview marks from the new interview (512 applicants, 2 interviewers each) were analyzed for inter-rater reliability, which identified a high level of agreement (kappa=0.639). No such analysis was possible for the old interview since it required interviewers to reach a consensus. Multivariate linear regression models utilizing outcomes for 5 cohorts (N=905) revealed that the new selection process was much more effective in predicting academic and clinical achievement in the program (R2=9.4%–17.8% vs. R2=1.5%–8.4%).
Conclusion The results suggest that the medical student selection process can be significantly enhanced by employing a non-compensatory selection algorithm; and using a structured interview focusing on interpersonal interaction and concerns should the applicants become students; as well as embracing interviewers’ diverse perspectives.
Purpose Smart device-based testing (SBT) is being introduced into the Republic of Korea’s high-stakes examination system, starting with the Korean Emergency Medicine Technician Licensing Examination (KEMTLE) in December 2017. In order to minimize the effects of variation in examinees’ environment on test scores, this study aimed to identify any associations of variables related to examinees’ individual characteristics and their perceived acceptability of SBT with their SBT practice test scores.
Methods Of the 569 candidate students who took the KEMTLE on September 12, 2015, 560 responded to a survey questionnaire on the acceptability of SBT after the examination. The questionnaire addressed 8 individual characteristics and contained 2 satisfaction, 9 convenience, and 9 preference items. A comparative analysis according to individual variables was performed. Furthermore, a generalized linear model (GLM) analysis was conducted to identify the effects of individual characteristics and perceived acceptability of SBT on test scores.
Results Among those who preferred SBT over paper-and-pencil testing, test scores were higher for male participants (mean± standard deviation [SD], 4.36± 0.72) than for female participants (mean± SD, 4.21± 0.73). According to the GLM, no variables evaluated— including gender and experience with computer-based testing, SBT, or using a tablet PC—showed a statistically significant relationship with the total score, scores on multimedia items, or scores on text items.
Conclusion Individual characteristics and perceived acceptability of SBT did not affect the SBT practice test scores of emergency medicine technician students in Korea. It should be possible to adopt SBT for the KEMTLE without interference from the variables examined in this study.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Application of computer-based testing in the Korean Medical Licensing Examination, the emergence of the metaverse in medical education, journal metrics and statistics, and appreciation to reviewers and volunteers Sun Huh Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions.2022; 19: 2. CrossRef
Evaluation of Student Satisfaction with Ubiquitous-Based Tests in Women’s Health Nursing Course Mi-Young An, Yun-Mi Kim Healthcare.2021; 9(12): 1664. CrossRef
Purpose While undergoing a hospital residency training program, residents often suffer anxiety and stress. This study aims to evaluate the change in health-related quality of life and happiness among internal medicine residents, and identify prognostic factors. Methods: Thirty-eight residents in the Ramathibodi Hospital internal medicine training program completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF and happiness Measures questionnaires at three time points: commencement, day 100, and the end of the second year of training. Confidence, expectations, anxiety, and general health were rated. Analyses were performed with mixed linear regression. Results: Financial problems were reported for 16 residents (42.1%). At baseline, most residents had moderate-to-very high confidence, expectations, and general health but also moderate-to-very high anxiety. The health-related quality of life score was highest in the social domain followed by the environmental, psychological, and physical domains. Their psychological, physical, social, and environmental scores significantly decreased after enrollment. Their happiness and general health scores were significantly reduced after enrollment. The training program duration was negatively associated with all domains. Residents with greater confidence had higher health-related quality of life scores in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains. Moreover, their general health was positively associated with the social and environmental domains. Conclusion: A reduction in health-related quality of life and happiness under the internal medicine residency program is reported. High confidence and good physical health may counterbalance the decline in health-related quality of life and happiness.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Specialty impact on residents’ perceived quality of life, stress, and job satisfaction: a comparative study Bo Young Kim, Inah Yoon, Seong John Han, Suk-Kyung Hong, Sehoon Choi, Hyo-Jin Kwon, Eun Key Kim Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research.2023; 105(4): 188. CrossRef
The Relationship between Personality Traits with Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study at One Medical School in Germany Winnie Chow, Jan Schmidtke, Adrian Loerbroks, Thomas Muth, Peter Angerer International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2018; 15(7): 1462. CrossRef