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.

On the Construct-Related Validity of Implicit Trait Policies

In response to recent calls to incorporate Implicit Trait Policies (ITPs) into personality research, the current study examined the construct-related validity of ITP measures. ITPs are defined as implicit beliefs about the effectiveness of behaviors that reflect a certain trait. They are assessed by utilizing the methodology of Situational Judgment Tests. We empirically examined ( N = 339) several underlying key assumptions of ITP theory, including trait-specificity, the relation to personality traits, their context-independence, and the relation to general domain knowledge. Overall, our results showed little support for these assumptions. Although we found some confirmation for expected correlations between ITPs and personality traits, most of the observed variance in ITP measures was either method-specific or due to measurement error. We conclude that the herein examined ITP measures lack construct-related validity and discuss implications for ITP theory and assessment.

Assessment of Global Competence of Engineers for a Sustainable World. Evidence from TA VIE Project

This paper outlines a contemporary understanding of global competence for engineers, as understood by European engineering companies, and presents the main findings of the Tools for Enhancing and Assessing the Value of International Experience for Engineers (TA VIE) project, launched in 2018. Situational judgment tests (SJTs), or scenario-based approaches were used to measure eleven global competences. Researchers designed the scenarios and contrasted them designing a dictionary of competences containing: the definition of each competence as well as the five levels for each competence (defined by objective behaviours that could be observed). The measurement of competences is performed through a web platform where all data are collected. Nearly 300 students from different countries fulfilled the questionaries, and the results show that students with mobility, have, in general terms, a higher level of global competence than those without international mobility. Communication and flexibility are the competences with higher impact when students enjoy an international experience.