This study describes those qualities that may be used to predict medical school applicants' level of interest in continuing learning once they are professionals. These interests include general adult and professional learning activities. A great deal of work has been done to assess predictors for medical student academic success and some effort has been devoted to examining personal characteristics that may be related to effective clinical performance. No research, to date, has explored factors that may measure one's proclivity toward lifelong learning. The findings from this investigation suggests that strong relationships exist between one's level of involvement in continuous learning and factors such as high school class rank, parents' level of education, and a tendency toward change.
This study demonstrates that it may be feasible for admissions committees to develop criteria for predicting involvement in continuing professional education and to incorporate these standards into their admissions procedures.
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