Abstract
In the Netherlands, students are admitted to medical school through (1) selection, (2) direct access by high pre-university Grade Point Average (pu-GPA), (3) lottery after being rejected in the selection procedure, or (4) lottery. At Radboud University Medical Center, 2010 was the first year we selected applicants. We designed a procedure based on tasks mimicking the reality of early medical school. Applicants took an online course followed by an on-site exam, resembling courses and exams in early medical school. Based on the exam scores, applicants were selected or rejected. The aim of our study is to determine whether curriculum sample selection explains performance in medical school and is preferable compared to selection based on performance in secondary school. We gathered data on the performance of students of three consecutive cohorts (2010–2012, N = 954). We compared medical school performance (course credits and grade points) of selected students to the three groups admitted in other ways, especially lottery admissions. In regression analyses, we controlled for out of context cognitive performance by adjusting for pu-GPA. Selection-admitted students outperformed lottery-admitted students on most outcome measures, unadjusted as well as adjusted for pu-GPA (p ≤ 0.05). They had higher grade points than non-selected lottery students, both unadjusted and adjusted for pu-GPA (p ≤ 0.025). Adjusted for pu-GPA, selection-admitted students and high-pu-GPA students performed equally. We recommend this selection procedure as it adds to secondary school cognitive performance for the general population of students, is efficient for large numbers of applicants and not labour-intensive.
Highlights
Worldwide, there are more applicants for medical school than capacity available
The group of selected students had a higher pre-university Grade Point Average (pu-GPA) than both non-selected lottery admissions and lottery-admitted students and a lower pu-GPA compared to pu-GPA admitted students
For the general population of students we focus on, our curriculum sample selection procedure shows additional value compared to secondary school cognitive achievement
Summary
There are more applicants for medical school than capacity available. Medical schools adopt a variety of procedures to select their intended student population out of many seemingly suitable applicants. In a review study on admission, Kuncel and Hezlett (2007) postulate that, in graduate school selection, most effective predictors for success are directly connected to the discipline involved In their recommendations for selection Prideaux et al (2011) emphasize that selection should be aligned with the programme that is selected for Work sample testing is described and studied extensively in personnel selection literature and focuses on situation specific performance. It can be defined as ‘a test in which the applicant performs a selected set of actual tasks that are similar to those performed on the job’ (Ployhart et al 2006). Fidelity between the exam and the nature of the actual tasks to be done afterwards, is an important mechanism in the predictive validity of these tests (Guion 1998)
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