Admission interviews: questions of utility and cost in masters of physical therapy programs in the United States.

Abstract

The purpose of this research was twofold. The first purpose was to assess the predictive validity of the interview process in student completion of entry level Masters of Physical Therapy programs on the conventional schedule for the university. The second was to provide a descriptive study of interview formats currently used by these institutions and the cost to the institution, estimated by hours of labor used exclusively for the interview process. A questionnaire was mailed to the Director of Admissions of 63 accredited Masters of Physical Therapy programs in the United States. Forty-three responded to the questionnaire for a response rate of 68.3%. Twenty-eight programs (65.1%) performed interviews and fifteen (34.9%) programs did not. A two-tailed t-test revealed that no significant difference existed between programs that interview and those that did not with regards to the attrition rate of students. There was great diversity between the programs in interview content and structure. The cost to the institutions in terms of hours averaged 261 hours per school for faculty and support staff combined. The schools of physical therapy that award the Masters of Physical Therapy degree vary markedly in the interview content and format both between schools and with recommendations known to enhance validity and reliability. Since, no difference exists in attrition of students between schools that interview and those that do not, the expense and time invested by both the institution and the students are important considerations. The findings of this study indicate the need for continued investigation of the effectiveness of the interview process and alternative methods of valid and reliable student selection.