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

Abstract

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.

Aspiring dietitians study: A pre‐enrolment study of students motivations, awareness and expectations relating to careers in nutrition and dietetics

“…student drop‐outs due to dissatisfaction or expectations not being met). Research on the effect of interviews on student attrition in other professions, however, has found no effect 11 . There have been no published studies that have investigated students’ motivations for considering dietetics as a career option in Australia.…”

“…6 The major criticism cited about interviews apart from variable reliability is the cost and logistical difficulties associated with their administration. 7 A consistent theme from this research [6][7][8][9][10][11] is the need for ongoing research and development of methods to assess noncognitive characteristics of applicants (such as motivation, personality and empathy), in order to assist student selection. 7,8 University application procedures for entry to dietetics programs in Australia vary depending on the level of the degree program (undergraduate vs postgraduate) and institutional differences.…”

“…Research on the effect of interviews on student attrition in other professions, however, has found no effect. 11 There have been no published studies that have investigated students' motivations for considering dietetics as a career option in Australia. One USAbased study in the late 1990s surveyed students about the influences on career decisions towards the end of their studies.…”

A meta-analytic perspective on the valid use of subjective human judgement to make medical school admission decisions

“…While there are meaningful differences between selection for employment and selection for medical education, in many countries, nearly all applicants who accept admission to medical school do go on to graduate and become employed as physicians. This means medical school admission is effectively functioning as a form of employment selection [20–22]. With the near universal matriculation from medical education to practice, the validity argument for medical school admission must consider the ability to predict physician performance [22].…”

1.1 Student selection and the influence of their clinical and academic environment on learning

“…However, some researchers would hold that it is not possible to select students at 18 years on the basis of interview, as at that age personalities and attitudes are still developing. While there are limited comparative data for dentistry, studies that have compared attrition rates in physical therapy (physiotherapy) programmes have failed to show any differences between programmes which used an interview for selection and those which did not (51). The same study also noted great diversity between the programmes in terms of interview content and structure.…”