Lessons Learned From Conducting Virtual Multiple Mini Interviews During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in PA program admissions secondary to the need for social distancing. Therefore, traditional in-person interview processes required modifications. In this article, we determined whether significant differences were identified when comparing applicant demographics, cognitive and noncognitive interview data, as well as feedback from the applicants between in-person multiple mini interview (iMMI) and virtual MMI (vMMI) at UT Southwestern's PA program. Methods Virtual MMI was developed and implemented for the admission cycle for the Class of 2023, using telecommunication systems that permit real-time interactions between the interviewer and the interviewee. The following groups of data were collected and compared between iMMI and vMMI: (1) applicant demographics; (2) interviewee OGPA, SGPA, GRE scores (obtained from CASPA); (3) program decisions such as number of interviewees, admission offers, admission declines, students matriculated (program-specific data), and mean MMI scores (from MMI instrument); and (4) feedback surveys to determine satisfaction outcomes. The students in the 2020 and 2021 classes also participated in the feedback survey. Results There were no significant differences between the iMMI and vMMI cohorts when comparing applicant demographics and interviewee scores and decisions. In the feedback surveys, 12% of the vMMI cohort reported a lower score on their capacity to “present an accurate portrayal of their ability” during the interview sessions (vMMI Likert score mean of 3.93; MMI mean of 4.36). Discussion The outcomes between iMMI and vMMI were not significantly different. The authors determined that the vMMI is a comparable alternative to the iMMI and can be used in lieu of or to supplement in-person interviews.