Candidate reactions to a postgraduate year 1 pharmacy residency supplemental application

Disclaimer In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Purpose The purpose of this study was to gauge postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency candidates’ reactions to supplemental applications, as well as aspects specific to our process, including a personality test and situational judgment test (SJT). Methods After rank lists were submitted, applicants to our program were invited to complete an online survey. Outcomes of interest included candidates’ perceptions of relevance and fairness. Whether candidates’ attitudes differed based on the receipt of an interview offer was also assessed. Results Of 199 applicants to our program for the 2021-2022 training year, 48 applicants (24.1%) completed the survey, 15 of whom had received an interview offer. Most (64.6%) agreed that supplemental applications were useful, and nearly all (95.8%) indicated that they were willing to submit one for programs in which they were most interested. The process was seen as being fair, although ratings were higher among those who received interview offers. Most respondents believed that the personality test and SJT were relevant to the role of a resident, but attitudes towards the SJT were generally more favorable and less likely to vary according to whether candidates received an interview offer. Candidates believed that the personality test and SJT were not as representative of them as letters of reference or their curriculum vitae, but perceptions of academic performance varied. Conclusion Applicants responded positively to our supplemental application and indicated that they would be willing to complete one for programs of interest. These findings should help assuage concerns about the use of supplemental applications, particularly when short-answer or essay formats are avoided.

Chinese University Students’ Perceptions of Implicit Altruism in a Time of COVID-19 Crisis

Drawing on the Associative Propositional Evaluation Model (APE), this study examined the influencing factors of Chinese university students' altruism and voluntary behaviors against the backdrop of global pandemic. A sample of 2172 Chinese university students answered the Self-developed University Students Implicit Altruism Situational Judgment Test (USIA-SJT) and The Self-report Altruism Scale (SRAS). Results show that gender, single child, years of enrollment, political status, parental education, personal/parental experiences and parental participation have statistically significant effects on the participants’ implicit and explicit altruism, which substantially impact their voluntary behaviors during the coronavirus crisis. Both EFA and CFA indicated the sound psychometric property of the Self-developed USIA-SJT, with the construction of the SIX C model, rendering it a robust measure to gauge Chinese university students’ implicit altruism as well as to predict their voluntary behaviors under serious public emergencies.

Effects of Honesty Test using Situational Judgment Test Format on Task Performance and counterproductive work behavior

The purposes of this research were 1) to identify criterion-related validity of the developed Honesty test using situation judgment test format and 2) to test mediating role of moral disengagement process including self-sanction. For these purpose, the situational judgment test measuring sub-constructs (i.e., sincerity, fairness, greed avoidance and modesty) of honesty-humility factor in HEXACO model(Lee & Ashton, 2004) was developed. eria(i.e., counterproductive work behavior, task performance and contextual performance). Total 365 employees(male, N=170, 46.58%; female, N=195, 53.42%) were used in the study. The Honesty test developed in the study included 24 items(i.e., 6 items for each 4 sub-constructs). The criterion-related validity analyses results showed that the Honesty test using situational judgment test format had significant correlations with counterproductive work behavior(r = -.49) and task performance(r = .39). The results of structural equation model revealed that the effects of honesty on counterproductive work behavior was mediated by moral disengagement process and the direct effect of honesty on counterproductive work behavior was also significant. Overall goodness of fit indexes of this model were favorable except for the chi-square value(χ2(32) = 50.44, p = .0202, CFI = .990, TLI = .986, RMSEA = .040). Limitations of the study and directions for future study were discussed.

Black students applying and admitted to medicine in the province of Quebec, Canada: what do we know so far?

To address the underrepresentation of Black students in medical schools in Canada and identify barriers in selection processes, we compare data from the latest Canadian census to that of an exit-survey conducted after a situational judgment test (Casper) among medical school applicants and from questionnaires done after selection interviews in Quebec, Canada. The proportion of Black people aged 15-34 years old in Quebec in 2016 was 5.3% province-wide and 8.2% in the Montreal metropolitan area. The proportion in the applicant pool for 2020 in Quebec was estimated to be 4.5% based on Casper exit-survey data. Comparatively, it is estimated that Black people represented 1.8% of applicants invited to admission interviews and 1.2% of admitted students in Quebec in 2019. Although data from different cohorts and data sources do not allow for direct comparisons, these numbers suggest that Black students applying to medical school are disproportionately rejected at the first step compared to non-Black students. Longitudinal data collection among medical school applicants will be necessary to monitor the situation. Further studies are required to pinpoint the factors contributing to this underrepresentation, to keep improving the equity of our selection processes.

An Empirical Approach to Identifying Subject Matter Experts for the Development of Situational Judgment Tests

The development of a scoring key for the situational judgment test often requires subject matter experts (SMEs) to identify the best responses for a hypothetical situation. And yet, there is no gold standard for identifying the SMEs. This paper describes an empirical and context-free approach: the Cochran–Weiss–Shanteau (CWS) method, which does not rely on external criteria such as tenure or credential. We first describe the theory behind the empirical approach of expertise. We also outline the CWS method and provide an R script for calculating the CWS index. Next, we demonstrate how the CWS index can be used for improving interrater agreement and the efficiency of SME selection. Finally, we examined the nomological network of the CWS index. We found that the CWS index was associated with reflective thinking and intuition avoidance.