title: Correlation of the Health Sciences Reasoning Test with student admission variables.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between scores on the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) and pharmacy student admission variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the student admissions process, cognitive data, including undergraduate grade point average and Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) scores, were collected from matriculating doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students. Between 2007 and 2009, the HSRT was administered to 329 first-year PharmD students. Correlations between HSRT scores and cognitive data, previous degree, and gender were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for other predictors, 3 variables were significantly associated with HSRT scores: percentile rank on the reading comprehension (p<0.001), verbal (p<0.001), and quantitative (p<0.001) subsections of the PCAT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Scores on the reading comprehension, verbal, and quantitative sections of the PCAT were significantly associated with HSRT scores. Some elements of critical thinking may be measured by these PCAT subsections. However, the HSRT offers information absent in standard cognitive admission criteria.
authors: UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. wendy_cox@unc.edu
authors: Wendy C
authors: WC
authors: Cox
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Persky
authors: Susan J
authors: SJ
authors: Blalock
mesh_terms: D003099:College Admission Test; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D012580:Schools, Pharmacy; D013339:Students, Pharmacy
keywords: Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT); Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT); admissions; critical thinking
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