Start | Browse by Day | Author Index

MAB7 Holistic Admissions in the Health Professions: A Public Health Perspective

Monday, March 23, 2015: 10:15 AM-11:45 AM
Potomac 5 (Hyatt Regency Crystal City)
Summary: This session will present findings from the first national study examining how institutions are admitting students in the health professions to achieve an institution’s mission and goals, including diversity, access, and success.
Learning Objectives: Session Learning Objectives: 1. Summarize existing efforts in admissions practices in health professions institutions across the country. 2. Integrate the experiences and lessons learned from the study with efforts of ASPPH members to achieve the mission and admissions goals of their home institutions. 3. Interpret the growing body of evidence around effective admission practices.
Description: We will present findings from a  national study examining the use and impact of holistic review—a university admissions process that assesses an applicant’s unique experiences alongside grades and test scores—for students pursuing careers in the health professions at public universities nationwide.

Many colleges and universities use a holistic admission process to select students, and the practice has become more popular in health fields. However, the impact this practice has had on academic success, diversity, and other outcomes—such as students’ engagement with the community—were largely unknown until now.  Results will be summarized and contextualized with respect to the admissions goals of public health schools.  

About the Study: Data were collected through an electronic survey that was sent to the presidents of 163 universities. A total of 104 universities from 45 different states participated in the study with 228 individual health professions schools (nursing, medicine, dentistry, public health, and pharmacy) providing their data on practices and outcomes. Survey respondents self-reported their use of holistic review, but they also reported their schools’ actual admissions practices. Actual practices were held up against a theoretical model for holistic admissions in order to objectively assess the extent to which schools have a holistic admission process.

Urban Universities for HEALTH (Health Equity through Alignment, Leadership and Transformation of the Health Workforce) is a partnership effort of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU)/Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). The project aims to improve evidence and the use of data that will help universities enhance and expand a culturally sensitive, diverse and prepared health workforce that will improve health and health equity in underserved urban communities.

The report, Holistic Admissions in the Health Profession, is available at  http://urbanuniversitiesforhealth.org/media/documents/Holistic_Admissions_in_the_Health_Professions.pdf

Panelists:
Kara B. Robinson, EdD, MS, Associate Dean Admissions and Student Affairs, Emory University-Rollins School of Public Health , Marlyn Delva, Associate Dean and Dean of Students, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Joanie Maniaci, MA, Senior Academic Coordinator, Stony Brook University Public Health Program
Presenter:
Jennifer C. Danek, MD, Senior Director, Coalition of Urban Serving Universities
Moderator:
Malika Fair, Director, Public Health Initiatives, AAMC
<< Previous session | Next session >>