The Structured Interview: A Selection Device

Abstract

This study is a first step in evaluating the value of a structured interview in the selection of students for a six-year joint bachelor's-medical degree program. Specifically, the structured interview results were related to the admissions decision. The predictive utility of the interview will be explored in subsequent studies. 73 candidates were interviewed for 40 openings in the first year of the program and 132 candidates were interviewed for 36 openings in the third year of the program. Each candidate was interviewed both by a physician and by a non-physician. Each interviewer rated each interviewee on several traits plus making an over-all recommended admissions decision. Interviewers responded mainly in terms of over-all global impressions of candidates. Correlations between physician and non-physician ratings of the same candidates were low. The influence on admissions decisions of interviewer recommendations (by both physicians and non-physicians) was also low. There was some suggestion that physician ratings had more influence on decisions about candidates for the first year while non-physician ratings had more influence for candidates for the third year.