title: Selection into medical school: from tools to domains.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most research into the validity of admissions tools focuses on the isolated correlations of individual tools with later outcomes. Instead, looking at how domains of attributes, rather than tools, predict later success is likely to be more generalizable. We aim to produce a blueprint for an admissions scheme that is broadly relevant across institutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We broke down all measures used for admissions at one medical school into the smallest possible component scores. We grouped these into domains on the basis of a multicollinearity analysis, and conducted a regression analysis to determine the independent validity of each domain to predict outcomes of interest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified four broad domains: logical reasoning and problem solving, understanding people, communication skills, and biomedical science. Each was independently and significantly associated with performance in final medical school examinations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified two potential errors in the design of admissions schema that can undermine their validity: focusing on tools rather than outcomes, and including a wide range of measures without objectively evaluating the independent contribution of each. Both could be avoided by following a process of programmatic assessment for selection.
authors.affiliation: Hawkes Bay Hospital, Hastings, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Tom M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: Medical Education Unit, University of Otago, P.O. Box 4345, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand. tim.wilkinson@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D003099:College Admission Test; D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D011340:Problem Solving; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D012577:Schools, Medical
keywords: Blueprinting; Selection