An Exploration of the Relationships Between Multiple Mini-Interview Scores and Personality Traits

Abstract

Objective. To explore the relationship between pharmacy students' social and behavioral competencies assessed using multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) and their personality traits. Methods. A retrospective study was conducted using data from two Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) cohorts. Students' self-reported scores from an externally validated tool completed during their first professional year that assessed five personality traits (openness to experiences, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotionality) were collected. Students' scores on empathy, integrity, adaptability, critical thinking, and collaboration were collected during MMIs conducted during the admissions process. Analysis of variance was used to test the homogeneity of the sample, and correlation analyses were used to determine the strength of relationships between variables. Results. When examining for associations between students' personality traits and their social and behavioral competencies measured during the MMIs, we found a few significant but very weak correlations with extraversion. Conclusion. Our results revealed weak to negligible correlations between scores on competencies measured during the MMIs and personality traits, potentially because the assessments measured different constructs.