The effect of undergraduate GPA selectivity adjustment on pre-interview ranking of rural medical school applicants.
BACKGROUND
The ongoing need to attract more physicians into rural practice is well documented, and medical school admission practices are a critical component of a multistep effort to produce rural practitioners.


OBJECTIVE
This study was completed to evaluate whether the practice of adjusting for the selectivity of the undergraduate school attended by medical school applicants has a detrimental effect on the pre-interview rankings of rural applicants.


METHODS
Applicants to the Medical University of South Carolina from 1996 through 1999 were the subjects. Applicant pre-interview scores were calculated with and without the adjustment to grade point average (GPA) for selectivity.


RESULTS
There were 2033 in-state applicants in 1996 through 1999, and 8.5% to 9.7% were from rural areas. The selectivity adjustment resulted in 1 less rural applicant gaining an admission interview in 2 cohorts, 1 additional rural applicant gaining an admission interview in 1 cohort, and no difference in the other cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
Adjusting undergraduate GPAs of medical school applicants based on undergraduate selectivity did not adversely affect the number of rural applicants offered admission interviews.
Gilbert
Gregory Eastham
GE
Center for Clinical Evaluation and Teaching and Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA. gilbertg@musc.edu
Blue
Amy Victoria
AV
Basco
William Thomas
WT
D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012424:Rural Population / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013022:South Carolina; D000078329:Workforce