transparency in the process

[2012mdc]

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http://www.med.umich.edu/rad/edu/apply.htm

I found this pretty interesting

"Applicants are graded in each of the 5 areas on a scale of 0 to 5 (with five being the best score). Individual scores are multiplied by factors of 1 (for intellectual curiosity), 2 (for educational background, interpersonal skills, and responsibility/maturity), and 3 (for scholarship), thereby more heavily weighting those areas considered to be most important, and the weighted scores summed. The highest possible applicant score is 50. Subjective modifications of this score are then made by each of the evaluating faculty after their 20-30 minute interview of the applicant"

I've glanced at a lot of different program sites while getting ready to apply and haven't seen anything quite like this where the program is open about using a numerical scale.

Are there any other programs that are this open about their process/use a scale like this?

 

[jahbrony]

"Applicants are graded in each of the 5 areas on a scale of 0 to 5 (with five being the best score). Individual scores are multiplied by factors of 1 (for intellectual curiosity), 2 (for educational background, interpersonal skills, and responsibility/maturity), and 3 (for scholarship), thereby more heavily weighting those areas considered to be most important, and the weighted scores summed. The highest possible applicant score is 50. Subjective modifications of this score are then made by each of the evaluating faculty after their 20-30 minute interview of the applicant"

The "cognitive" categories include:

1. Educational background--college and medical school attended
2. Scholarship--grades, class rank, AOA, USMLE scores
3. Intellectual curiosity--research and volunteer activity.
The "non-cognitive" categories include:

4. Interpersonal skills
5. Responsibility and maturity

A meeting is subsequently held at which time Residency Selection Committee members may make further subjective modifications to the rank order list, providing that these changes are agreed upon by all members of the Committee. Reasons for such adjustments include concerns raised at the time of the interview which are shared by all members of the Residency Selection Committee, subsequent direct communication between faculty at the applicant's medical school and a Residency Selection Committee member, and any additional consideration that is to be given to women and minorities.

Are there any other programs that are this open about their process/use a scale like this?

I know of two programs outside of U of M that do something like this. The idea is the same, they just implement it differently. E.g. For anything above a 250 on step 1, you get a 5--they make no distinction between a 251 and a 264. Then for any publication achieved in med school, you get a 5 in activities, 4+ clerkship honors, you get a 5 in clerkship grades, and so forth. To my knowledge, even though some programs use these scales, there's still a ton of subjectivity involved when they create the rank list, so take it for what it's worth.

edit: To answer the Q though... nah, I'm not aware of other programs that are open like this about the rating system they use. (The info I received was from talking to the pd and chief residents).

 

[2012mdc]

I know of two programs outside of U of M that do something like this. The idea is the same, they just implement it differently. E.g. For anything above a 250 on step 1, you get a 5--they make no distinction between a 251 and a 264. Then for any publication achieved in med school, you get a 5 in activities, 4+ clerkship honors, you get a 5 in clerkship grades, and so forth. To my knowledge, even though some programs use these scales, there's still a ton of subjectivity involved when they create the rank list, so take it for what it's worth.

edit: To answer the Q though... nah, I'm not aware of other programs that are open like this about the rating system they use. (The info I received was from talking to the pd and chief residents).

Yeah I understand that. I mean the interpersonal skills and responsibility categories are already subjective themselves.

I figured that programs have to use some sort of rating system, it's just interesting to see the actual numbers. And I was surprised by research not meaning as much at an academic place