title: Constructing a more comprehensive validity argument for medical school admission testing: predicting long-term outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The research published outside of medical education journals provides an important source of validity evidence for using cognitive ability testing in medical school admissions.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cumulative body of validity research, consisting of thousands of studies and scores of meta-analyses, has conclusively demonstrated that a strong positive relationship exists between job performance and general mental ability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recommendations for reducing the emphasis on or eliminating the role of general mental ability in the selection process for medical schools are not based on a consideration of the wider research evidence. Admission interventions that substantially reduce the level of academic aptitude are also likely to result in reduced professional performance.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Family Medicine , University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine , Iowa City, Iowa , USA.
authors.forename: Clarence D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Kreiter
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Otaki
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003099:College Admission Test; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D012577:Schools, Medical; D014481:United States
keywords: MCAT; admissions; validity