Podcast Summary
Assessing Professional Readiness for Medical Students with PREVIEW Test: The Professional Readiness Exam (PREVIEW) is a new situational judgment test used by multiple medical schools to evaluate students' professional readiness and competencies. Developed by the AAMC, it aims to align with application processes but Case Western Reserve University opted out due to score release dates.
The Professional Readiness Exam (PREVIEW) is a new situational judgment test being used by an expanding number of medical schools in the US, including 18 schools in 2022 and 2023. The test, developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), aims to assess professional readiness and competencies for medical students. Case Western Reserve University, where this podcast is hosted, was close to participating but opted out due to score release dates not aligning with their application process. The test is led by Rebecca Fraser, AAMC's director of content development, and Lisa Peters, director of preview operations at the double AMC. The conversation provides insights into the test's development, implementation, and benefits for medical schools and students.
Assessing Professional and Interpersonal Skills with Double AMC's Newer Preview Professional Readiness Exam: The Double AMC's newer Preview Professional Readiness Exam is a standardized tool used to evaluate professional and interpersonal skills of medical school applicants, helping schools make informed decisions during the holistic review process.
The Double AMC's newer Preview Professional Readiness Exam is a situational judgment test (SJT) designed to assess various competencies including interpersonal skills, teamwork, ethics, problem solving, and decision making. These exams have been around for a while and are used in various fields such as sales, management, and customer service to evaluate aptitude and skills. The Double AMC developed this exam to provide medical schools with a standardized evaluation of professional and interpersonal skills that can be incorporated into the holistic review of applicants before interviews. The exam is important as success in medical school requires not just academic preparation but also strong professional and interpersonal skills. The AMC recognized that these skills are not always apparent in applications and decided to create a tool to assess them earlier in the admissions process.
Assessing Medical Competencies with the AAMC Preview Exam: The AAMC Preview Exam evaluates a medical applicant's understanding and application of key competencies, such as interaction skills, ethical responsibility, reliability, and adaptability, to help medical schools make informed admissions decisions.
The AAMC Preview Exam is designed to assess a medical applicant's understanding and application of various competencies, particularly those related to interaction with others, ethical responsibility, reliability, and adaptability. These competencies are derived from the 15 core competencies identified by the AAMC over a decade ago. Medical schools use these competencies as a guide for holistic review during the application process. The AAMC collaborates with medical schools and students to identify and evaluate these competencies, ensuring that the Preview Exam remains a meaningful and valuable tool for medical schools in their admissions process. Medical students and educators have been involved in the development and ongoing refinement of the exam to ensure its accuracy and relevance to medical education.
Developing Fair and Unbiased AMC Preview Exam Questions: The AMC preview exam is a crucial component of medical school applications, allowing for standardized evaluation of applicants' professional competencies. Collaborative efforts between admissions staff, student affairs, DEI offices, and curriculum experts ensure fair and unbiased questions.
The AMC's preview exam is an essential part of the medical school application process that allows applicants to demonstrate their competencies in a consistent and standardized manner. During the development of the exam questions, a diverse group of individuals, including admissions staff, student affairs, DEI offices, and curriculum experts, collaborated to ensure the questions were fair and unbiased. The exam provides medical schools with valuable information about applicants' understanding of professional competencies, beyond what is stated in their applications. Additionally, the exam allows medical schools to assess applicants on the same scale as their peers, ensuring a fair evaluation process. While similar to other situational judgment tests like Casper, the AMC preview exam differs in what it measures, focusing on personal and professional characteristics. Overall, the preview exam offers a valuable opportunity for applicants to showcase their competencies and for medical schools to make informed admissions decisions.
Preview and CASPER exams: Key differences: The Preview exam uses text-based scenarios with closed-ended responses and consensus ratings, while CASPER includes video-based scenarios with open-ended responses and direct evaluations by examiners.
The Preview and CASPER exams, while assessing similar competencies in medical applicants, have distinct differences. The Preview exam presents text-based scenarios with closed-ended response options, while CASPER includes both text and video-based scenarios with open-ended responses. The scoring methods also vary; the Preview exam uses consensus ratings from medical educators, while CASPER examiners evaluate open-ended responses directly. An example of a Preview exam question involves rating the effectiveness of various responses to a given scenario. The Preview exam was piloted in 2020 and 2021, with over 18,000 applicants participating across those two years. Now in its first year as an active exam, there are currently numerous schools participating.
AAMC Preview Exam Covers 65% of Medical School Applicants: The AAMC Preview Exam, taken by 18 schools, provides objective scores used in admissions process as an additional data point, not a definitive decision maker.
The AAMC Preview Exam, which is participated in by 18 schools this year, covers approximately 65% of all medical school applicants. The questions are scored by a group of medical school administrators, faculty, staff, and admissions officers, ensuring objectivity. Schools use the results at various stages in the admissions process, often alongside other application information, and examinees receive their scores the same day schools do. The scores are viewed as an additional data point, not a silver bullet, in the admissions decision-making process.
DAT and MCAT exams provide similar score reports: Both DAT and MCAT exams offer score reports with actual scores, percentile ranks, and confidence bands. Applicants can retake the exam once per year and access free practice tests online. Familiarizing oneself with testing requirements and having diverse experiences can enhance exam performance.
The DAT and MCAT exams, though different in some aspects, provide similar score reports to test takers. The reports include the actual score on a scale from 1 to 9, percentile rank, and confidence bands. Applicants who are not satisfied with their results have the option to retake the exam once per year, and reapplicants are not required to retake the preview exam. For preparation, students can access free practice exams with explanations on the AAMC website. It's crucial for test takers to familiarize themselves with the technical and environmental requirements of remote testing before exam day to reduce stress and ensure a smooth check-in process. The wide variety of experiences, such as coursework and volunteer programs, may help students develop the necessary skills for these exams. However, more research is needed to definitively determine which experiences are most beneficial.
Reflecting on personal experiences can help prepare for medical entrance exams: Reflect on a range of experiences and consider how they relate to the competencies being assessed for medical entrance exam success. Preparation, including thorough exam prep, is crucial.
Drawing from personal experiences and reflecting on how they relate to the competencies being tested can help candidates prepare for real-world scenario questions on medical entrance exams. Test takers have reported that ethics classes, anthropology classes, clinical experience, volunteer programs, and peer counseling, among other experiences, have made them feel more comfortable during the exam and helped them respond effectively to scenarios. However, there is no one specific experience or action that guarantees success. Instead, it's essential to reflect on a range of experiences and consider how they relate to the competencies being assessed. Additionally, feedback from previous test takers has indicated that the exam questions align well with situations they might face in medical school and that preparing thoroughly beforehand, including going through the system prep, is crucial. Some test takers have raised concerns about the subjectivity of the answers and the testing environment, and the organization is investigating ways to address these issues. Small differences in performance have been observed between different racial and ethnic groups and genders, but no differences have been found based on socioeconomic status, rural upbringing, or English language proficiency. The organization is continually working to reduce these differences and eliminate them entirely.
Ensuring fairness and reducing bias in medical school admission exams: Medical school admission exams are taking steps to ensure fairness and reduce bias by engaging diverse medical educators, consulting experts, and providing fee assistance. Test takers are responsible for providing a private, well-lit testing environment.
The makers of the medical school admission exam are taking active steps to ensure fairness and reduce bias in their content. They engage medical educators from various backgrounds and medical schools to review the content for bias and sensitivity. Additionally, they consult experts in diversity, bias, and anti-racism to further examine any potential issues. The exam registration fee is $100 and includes unlimited score sending, and it participates in the AAMC fee assistance program. Examinees can reschedule or cancel their appointments within designated windows. The exam is currently administered remotely, and test takers are responsible for ensuring a private, well-lit testing environment with a clear workspace and a single monitor.
Preparing for an Online Exam with ProctorU: Ensure a hard surface for computer, close third-party apps, meet system requirements, remove non-permitted items, scan testing area, and create a secure testing environment for online exams with ProctorU.
Taking an online exam with ProctorU requires careful preparation and adherence to specific guidelines for a secure testing environment. This includes ensuring a hard surface for the computer, closing all third-party apps, and meeting system requirements such as a working webcam, microphone, and sufficient internet speeds. Test takers must also remove non-permitted items like watches, hoodies, and hats, and scan their testing area to ensure no unauthorized assistance is present. The process is similar to a traditional test center, but with the added convenience of remote testing. ProctorU provides resources and tools to help test takers check their system readiness, making the process relatively easy. Overall, the responsibility lies with the test taker to create a secure and suitable testing environment before the exam begins.
Remote Proctored Medical School Exam: Thorough Check-in Process: The check-in process for a remote proctored medical school exam includes ID verification, room scanning, and computer checks, adding approximately 1.5 hours to the total exam duration. Prepare ahead and allow for accommodations to ensure a smooth experience.
Taking a remote proctored medical school exam involves a thorough check-in process with a proctor. This includes scanning the room, showing a valid ID, and ensuring the computer meets exam requirements. The exam itself is 75 minutes long, but add around an hour and a half for the check-in process. Preparation and having all necessary applications and accommodations in order beforehand can shorten the process. For those with disabilities, accommodations are available but require a 30-day notice before the desired exam window. If internet connectivity is lost during the exam, remain calm and follow the proctor's instructions for potential continuation or rescheduling.
Contact customer service for longer MCAT outages: If the MCAT virtual exam experiences a significant outage, contact customer service promptly for assistance.
During the MCAT virtual exam, if there's a longer outage than a couple of minutes, candidates should contact customer service as soon as they can. This includes when power is restored, Internet is connected, or phone service is working again. The customer service number can be found on the preview pages. Scores are automatically released within 30 days of the exam date, and the release date can be found on the scheduling and reschedule/cancel table. With 18 schools participating and over 4000 applicants, it's important for candidates to be prepared and informed about the test logistics. The schools use this test to help assess applicants' readiness for medical education. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out for assistance.
