The Early Years of Admissions

The admissions process at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine (MSU-CHM), from day one, was different. Conceived in the mid-60s during a time of major social unrest, MSU-CHM wanted to address the concerns that many also had about medicine; namely, that it was impersonal, sometimes dehumanizing, and, not to mention, unrepresentative of society at large. Our mission focus was "serving the primary health care needs of the people of Michigan." Diversity in the learning environment reflecting the diversity of the people of Michigan was seen as essential to the mission. Diversity in admissions work was broadly defined to include rural and inner-city students as well as other facets of diversity such as non-traditional students and non-science majors. The admissions process during this time period was known for taking risks, and it was not uncommon for early entering classes to look different from the classes of other medical schools: more women, more non-traditional students, more minorities underrepresented in medicine.

CHM Enrichment Programs

The committee's ability to select students based upon mission fit has been supported by a variety of special programs. The ABLE program continued to be of immense value for students on the cusp of academic readiness. The committee was able to refer disadvantaged students with good mission fit for further academic preparation while offering conditional admission.

The Medical Scholars Program was developed in the 1990's on the hope that aspiring physicians might be better able to maintain their empathy and energy if they were educated in a supportive environment that accepted or perhaps nurtured interests outside of the biological sciences. The program was popular but with the 2008 recession and evolving awareness that Medical Scholars were difficult to differentiate from our regularly accepted students, it was phased out.

Still interested in mission fit and a diverse learning environment, the Office of Admissions designed Early Assurance programs. Partner undergraduate institutions in our communities agreed to seek and develop students who may typically be disadvantaged in the medical school admission process but with career goals consistent with the CHM mission. This program admits students using the regular process but a year early. It advantages students with additional attention from their undergraduate institution, relief of admissions-related pressure and expense, and a relationship with CHM during their senior year.

During this time the Rural Physician Program flourished and expanded, while the Leadership in Medicine for the Underserved program was initiated. More recently there was been increased interest in combined degree programs. Most notable is the Program in Public Health that supports student interest and the CHM mission through options for a certificate or MPH degree. The MD/PhD program emerged from moratorium to be offered as a combined degree offering.

Admissions Adopts the Multiple Mini Interview Format

Over the last five years, CHM Admissions has solidified its commitment to an admissions process that uses principles of holistic review in selecting incoming medical students. While accomplishments listed on a medical school application and discussed during an interview remain a key component in the decision-making process, the evaluation of personal characteristics consistent with becoming a successful doctor continues to be challenging.

In order to provide a more structured evaluation of applicant personal characteristics, the admissions committee agreed to transition our interview format three years ago from one that placed heavy emphasis on a semi-structured, one-on-one interview to a process based on a series of eight highly-structured, short (eight-minute) "interview" stations specifically designed to evaluate personal characteristics, such as compassion, cultural sensitivity, maturity and self-awareness. This approach is called a multiple mini-interview (or MMI). Our MMI follow-up data documents improved applicant satisfaction using the MMI over traditional interviews.  It is our hope that future data will show that the MMI results in improved academic performance and professional conduct of our students. Admissions at CHM has always tried to keep abreast of new approaches that respect the individuality of our applicants and provides us with information for better mission-focused decisions.

Why Do Students Choose CHM?

Each year the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) surveys all matriculating U.S. medical students, and included are questions related to the factors that influence students' choice of medical school.  In 1987, the top three factors identified by matriculants were CHM's curriculum, geographic location and general reputation. It is noteworthy that medical school curriculum was not among the top three reasons for the national sample of matriculants. The results of the 2013 survey again identified the CHM curriculum as the most important factor influencing students' decision, and again this was not reflected among the top three choices of matriculants nationally. There are three factors tied for the other top rankings: geographic location, residency placement of graduates and desire to attend an in-state school.

While the wording and response choices of the questionnaire items have varied over time, the consistency of the results is impressive. Over 26 years, the CHM curriculum and geographic location have remained important features for students considering CHM for their professional education. For students attending CHM, these factors outweigh many other considerations. In the end, there is something to be said for mission, mission, mission. (Contributed by John Molidor, Christine Shafer and Joel Maurer).

-  Yelon SL, Ford JK, and Anderson WA. 2014 Twelve Tips for Increasing Transfer of Training From Faculty Development Programs. Med Teach 36: 945-950.

- Obando C, Maurer J, Plantegenest G, Dokter C. The Use of E-learning Modules to Improve Student Knowledge in Obstetrics and Gynecology. MedEdPORTAL Publications; 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.9920

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