A novel student-selected component in medical admissions

摘要

What problems were addressed? Based on objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) are being used increasingly to assess candidates for entry to medical school. Our medical school has used MMIs for 3 years. It has proved a challenge for the admissions team, which consists of administrative staff and doctors, to devise new stations assessing the competencies required. Thus far, the team has written stations and then piloted them on medical students, but no students have been involved in their development. It was felt that students might offer fresh insights.The medical school runs a student-selected component (SSC) in Year 4 comprising a 6-week project assessed by a poster and viva. Medical education SSCs have proved popular and it was felt that such an SSC might be used to introduce students to the principles of assessment, as well as potentially to produce new stations.