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More Than Their Test Scores: Redefining Success with Multiple Mini-Interviews

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Abstract

Introduction

Medical schools are shifting to a holistic approach for admissions. As non-cognitive abilities become more valued in the medical field and admissions become more competitive, multiple mini-interviews (MMI) are becoming increasingly common in selection criteria. The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship among admissions criteria to create a predictive model of acceptance to medical school. This article also aims to examine, among matriculated students, the relationship between MMI and traditional academic success, and the relationship between MMI scores and clinical competence and academic accolades.

Methods

This longitudinal study followed a cohort of students from the MMI process through the first two pre-clinical years at a medical school in the southeastern USA. Multiple logistic regression with backward elimination variable selection was used to examine the relationship between admission criteria and acceptance. A multivariate multinomial ordered probit model was used to assess the relationship between MMI and traditional academic success among matriculated students. Simple linear regression models were used to assess relationships between MMI and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores and honors nomination.

Results

MMI are among eight significant predictors of acceptance. Among matriculated students, there were weak negative associations between MMI and traditional academic success; however, all but one relationship was statistically non-significant. There was not a significant association between MMI and OSCE scores or academic accolades.

Conclusions

While MMI can identify students with non-cognitive skills needed to be a good physician, continued assessment needs to be incorporated in their education.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA

    Ann Blair Kennedy

  2. Graduate Medical Education, Prisma Health, Greenville, SC, USA

    Cindy Nessim Youssef Riyad

  3. Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA

    Laura H. Gunn, Kandyce Brooke Dunlap, Melissa Elizabeth Knutsen & Alicia Anne Dahl

  4. Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Laura H. Gunn

  5. Greenville HealthCare Simulation Center, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA

    April Gant Brown

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  1. Ann Blair Kennedy
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Correspondence to Ann Blair Kennedy.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of South Carolina (Pro 00069266).

Informed Consent

As a secondary data analysis with de-identified data, informed consent was not needed per university policy.

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Kennedy, A.B., Riyad, C.N.Y., Gunn, L.H. et al. More Than Their Test Scores: Redefining Success with Multiple Mini-Interviews. Med.Sci.Educ. 30, 1049–1060 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-01013-z

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