Admission policies and methods at crossroads: a review of medical school admission policies and methods in seven Asian countries.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Korean Society of Medical Education Country of Publication: Korea (South) NLM ID: 101503071 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2005-7288 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 2005727X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Korean J Med Educ Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: Seoul : Korean Society of Medical Education
    • Subject Terms:
      Education, Medical, Undergraduate* ; Policy* ; School Admission Criteria* ; Schools, Medical* ; Students, Medical*; Asia ; Cross-Cultural Comparison ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Japan ; Malaysia ; Philippines ; Singapore ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Sri Lanka ; Taiwan
    • Abstract:
      Selecting the right applicants is an important part of medical student admission. While one universally accepted selection criterion is academic capacity, there are other criteria such as communication skills and local criteria (e.g., socio-cultural values) that are no less important. This article reviews the policies and methods of selection to medical schools in seven countries with varying socio-economic conditions and healthcare systems. Senior academics involved in medical education in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan completed a pre-agreed pro-forma per each country to describe the country's admission policies and methods. The details were then compared and contrasted. This review identifies tension between many of the policies and methods used in medical school admissions, such as between the need to assess non-cognitive abilities and widen access, and between the need for more medical professionals and the requirement to set high entry standards. Finding the right balance requires careful consideration of all variables, including the country's human resource needs; socio-economic status; graduates' expected competencies; and the school's vision, mission, and availability of resources.
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    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: Asians; Medical students; Student selection
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20200730 Date Completed: 20210811 Latest Revision: 20210811
    • Publication Date:
      20221213
    • Accession Number:
      PMC7481048
    • Accession Number:
      10.3946/kjme.2020.169
    • Accession Number:
      32723988