1. Fourth Year Medical School Admissions Elective
Benjamin Chan, M.D., M.B.A.
Assistant Dean, Admissions
Denise Himes, Goldie Kacinski

2. History Volunteer Activity => Elective
Medical schools have their 4th year medical students participate in a variety of ways in the admission process, but it is unknown if students actually understand the history of the admissions process.
In 2015, at the University of Utah School of Medicine (UUSOM), we implemented a fourth year elective that stipulates that the history of medical school admissions is also the history of medical education. Medical students receive credit by attending lectures (which are also accessible online due to residency interview travel schedules) and participating in our process.
Volunteer Activity => Elective

3. Objectives How many MS4 students participate?
- Build in feedback loop to improve
2) Track the number and quality of MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) and SJT (Situational Judgment Test) scenarios that were created by the students each year.
3) Quiz completion

4. Why Elective? Flexibility during Fourth year
Involved in their own residency applications
Practice for their own interviews
MS4s have gathered large amount of insight and perspective during the previous years

5. Topics covered
1)      History of medical education (such as the Flexner Report)
2)      Why Holistic Review?
3)      The UUSOM Office of Admissions Audit of
5)      Movement towards competencies and redefining the assessment (interview) day experience MMI and SJT
6)      Concepts of diversity within admissions and understanding recent Supreme Court decisions including Grutter v. Bollinger, Fisher v. Texas, etc.

6. Requirements “Attend” the 5 hours of lectures Complete quizzes
Serve on both Interview and Selection Committee
Create MMI and SJT scenarios for next year’s application cohort

7. Example of created SJT
You are working in an administrative job to help pay for college and your shift is about to start. Your work with another colleague for each shift and the person who is supposed to start the shift with you just texted you indicating he is sick today and will not be able to show up. What do you do?
Choose the THREE most appropriate actions to take in this situation
A) Text your colleague back asking them to contact the supervisor with this information
B) your supervisor at work letting them know about your colleague’s condition
C) Try and contact your colleague through social media
D) Call your colleague back asking them if they are okay
E) Call your work leaving a message indicating that you will be coming in today for work
F) Text your colleague back reminding them of the sick policy and how they will need a note from their doctor
G) Ignore your colleague’s text
H) When you arrive at work later, let them know what happened to your colleague if they hadn’t heard by then
ADH

8. Popularity

9. Feedback
“This elective has helped me have a voice in the admissions process and understand the need to have holistic review in the residency selection.”
“Many pre-med students ask me about the admissions process. I love telling them more about holistic review.”
“I wish I had this elective at the beginning of medical school so I could understand better why and how our medical education was set up the way it is.”
“This elective teaches leadership and organizational skills. I feel that I am better prepared to work in academic medicine one day because of this experience.”

10. Conclusion
This elective has proven to be quite popular over the past two years, and we have received feedback that this helps them transition to internships.
This is our “innovation incubator” for new ideas in the admissions process.
The medical students have helped create over 50 MMI and SJT items that are currently used in our application process and also gain a deeper understanding of the medical admissions process that will help them in future leadership positions.
Additional research will be needed to ascertain lasting influence of this elective as our medical students transition into residency and attending leadership positions.

11. Questions?