Comparison of admission rates to a non-traditional Doctor of Pharmacy programme using internet-based multiple-mini interviews versus on-site

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate if applicants selecting internet-based interviews (iMMI) have the same probability for admission as traditional on-site interviews (MMI). Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all applicants between 2014 and 2017 using routinely collected data. Logistic regression was used to compare the odds of admission and models were adjusted for potential confounders. Confounders which were significant in the univariate analysis were selected for the multivariate model. Analysis was performed using XLSTAT. Results: There were 238 applicants. Admission rate was not different between iMMI and MMI applicants. Eight-four percent (84%) of applicants in iMMI and 80% in MMI were admitted leading to a crude odds ratio (OR) of 1.4 (95% CI 0.7 - 2.7) and an adjusted OR of 1.2 (95% CI 0.5 - 2.8). Conclusions: This study demonstrated similar admission rates suggesting that iMMI may be a viable option for wider use. This process may improve admission procedures for hard-to-reach applicants in pharmacy programmes.