Choosing Good Medical Students
Medical school selection tests need to be revised if they are to produce a well-educated medical workforce, according to leading professors in medical education.
Associate Professor Michele Groves, Director of Medical Studies at Griffith University, and colleagues have found that the current university entry tests are not sufficient to predict how well a student will do in later studies.
The results of their research into the connection between medical school entry test results and academic performance are published in the latest Medical Journal of Australia.
"We did not find evidence that the Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) and structured interviews are good predictors of performance in medical school," says Assoc Prof Groves.
"GAMSAT is designed to assess problem-solving and data interpretation…as well as critical thinking, reasoning and written communication."
But the study results suggest GAMSAT is primarily measuring knowledge, and is a poor predictor of reasoning ability - the quality the test was designed to assess.
"Although interviews provide insight into applicants' communication skills, serious qualms remain about their subjectivity and their ability to select applicants with the personal qualities needed for the demands of modern medical practice," says Assoc Prof Groves.
"Medical school is such a high stakes process that we need to clearly define the performance indicators… to be targeted by the selection process.
"Our study highlights the need for more rigorous evaluation of Australian medical school admissions tests."
In a related editorial in the Journal, Professor Chris McManus, Professor of Psychology and Medical Education at the University College of London, and Professor David Powis, of the University of Newcastle, agree that there is more to a good medical student than intellectual ability.
"Adequate knowledge is a necessary part of good medicine, but is far from sufficient for competent practice," says Prof Powis.
"Being a competent, safe and effective doctor probably depends to an equal extent on behaviour, attitudes and approach."
Prof Powis suggests we need better assessment of these qualities at the point of student selection in order to balance and complement the measures of academic achievement and intellectual ability that currently determine whom we admit to medical school.
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
Both articles can be viewed online at www.mja.com.au