Quantitative Holistic Admissions Process for Medical and Physician Assistant Education

Authors

Shannon Colvin, University of LynchburgFollow

Specialty

PA Admissions

Advisor

Dipu Patel

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review the current admission practices for physician assistant (PA) and medical education programs, while providing more insight into the holistic application review. This article will discuss the capacity to quantify holistic application review to permit the ability of ranking a robust and highly qualified applicant pool.

Methods: A literature review was conducted to review published articles addressing admission practices at PA programs and medical schools. Another review was completed to reveal the journals defining and discussing holistic applicant review at a graduate level of education.

Results: Journals have been published to highlight the benefits and areas of improvement for the current process of admissions at medical education programs, but no literature was found that discussed the ability to quantify the ranking of applicants after a holistic review had occurred.

Proposed Solution: After the literature review and the evaluation of lapse in necessities, a rubric has been developed to utilize within the holistic review admissions process.

Conclusion: Admission processes over the years have changed drastically with a new emphasis placed on non-academic benchmarks for students. With this transition to a more whole-person review, a holistic applicant review would be universally beneficial to medical education programs. Unfortunately, the applicant pool for medical education and physician assistant programs is so large and competitive that it becomes difficult to effectively review each applicant for academic achievement and personal attributes. Therefore, a combination of the previous quantitative ranking with a holistic applicant review will be discussed further.

Recommended Citation

Colvin S. Quantitative Holistic Admissions Process for Medical and Physician Assistant Education. University of Lynchburg DMSc Doctoral Project Assignment Repository. 2023; 5(1).