Incorporating multiple mini-interviews in the postgraduate year 1 pharmacy residency program selection process

Abstract

The use of the MMI in a PGY1 pharmacy residency applicant selection process appeared to be well accepted by both candidates and interviewers and likely assesses different attributes than do traditional interview techniques.

Perceptions and Cost-Analysis of a Multiple Mini-Interview in a Pharmacy School Admissions Process

“…Although the literature supports using a greater number of stations (eg, [8][9][10][11][12] to enhance reliability and validity, 8,11,16,17 the feasible number for UCSF interview day was 4, which is consistent with previous experience in pharmacy admissions. 13 Two of the scenarios were developed by UCSF faculty members on the MMI workgroup, and 2 were adapted with permission from the University of Arkansas College of Pharmacy.…”

“…8 Since then, a number of institutions across several disciplines have adopted the MMI format, deeming the approach to be effective and reliable. 5,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] In 2008, the University of Arkansas College of Pharmacy incorporated the MMI into their admissions process, 13 and this institution provided guidance and mentorship to facilitate implementation at UCSF.…”

Development and Assessment of the Multiple Mini-Interview in a School of Pharmacy Admissions Model

“…[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Across these settings, the MMI seems to be a useful admissions tool for measuring professional attributes. In a systematic review of studies exploring MMI use for student selection in health professions training, Pau et al concluded that candidates and interviewers found the process acceptable and fair.…”

APPE Evaluations are Positively Associated with MMI, Pre-pharmacy GPA and Pharmacy GPA

“…In addition to these academic measures, researchers have correlated behavioral/social qualities (sometimes referred to as "soft skills" or noncognitive qualities) including communication skills, empathy, ethical behavior and professionalism with outcomes in the PharmD curriculum 11 . These qualities are difficult to evaluate in standard or structured interviews, but can be assessed through the multiple-mini interview (MMI) 6,9,[16][17][18] . Recently, Heldenbrand et al showed that the MMI used during our admissions process is another tool that can be utilized to predict academic difficulty (previously defined as course grade of D, F, WF, course/year repetition, summer school, programmatic withdrawal or dismissal) in the didactic PharmD curriculum and therefore is an early identifier of academically at-risk students.…”

“…This is important to note because in the admission process, schools often place great significance on the PCAT since it has been shown to be an independent predictor of success in the didactic curriculum. 12,14,18,[23][24][25][26][27] Although GPA and PCAT can both be used to predict success in the didactic curriculum they do not measure non-academic skills, and likewise the MMI is not a surrogate for the applicants' academic skills. However, perhaps both pre-pharmacy GPA and MMI used in combination could provide more reliable insight into the admission decisions and facilitate the selection of applicants who will be most successful in our professional program including APPEs.…”