Comparison of in-person and virtual MMI performance for admission into physical therapy

This study explored whether a virtual format may negatively impact the assessment of non-academic qualities, which could hinder the effectiveness of the MMI.This study explored whether a virtual format may negatively impact the assessment of non-academic qualities, which could hinder the effectiveness of the MMI.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) Physical Therapy program MMI consists of nine 8- min stations. Total MMI scores and grade point average (GPA) were collected retrospectively for 2019-2020 (in-person; n=336) and 2021-2022 (virtual; n=386). Each format was compared for total MMI scores, internal consistency, factors predictive of successful admission to the program, and how the MMI changed an applicants’ ranking from GPA alone.

There was no significant main effect of MMI format on total MMI scores (in-person: 334±34 vs. virtual: 328±48, p0.05). Internal consistency of the in-person MMI was lower than the virtual MMI (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.570 vs. 0.781). GPA and total MMI scores significantly contributed to predicting applicant acceptance into the physical therapy program (in-person: Nagelkerke R²=0.986, p0.001; virtual: Nagelkerke R²=0.984, p0.001). Following the in-person MMI, 83 applicants’ ranking changed from successful to non-successful while 91 applicants’ ranking changed to successful (p>0.05). Following the virtual MMI, 86 applicants’ ranking changed to non-successful whereas 114 applicants’ ranking changed to successful (p=0.06).

The MMI is a tool for admission committees to assess non-academic qualities, and it was designed to be conducted in person. The present study demonstrates that applicant performance on the MMI is similar whether conducted in-person or virtually. Despite the evaluation of similar non-academic themes across years, the internal consistency of the virtual MMI stations was higher than in-person. Improvements in interviewer training and efficiency of conducting the MMI may explain this difference. In summary, conducting the MMI virtually does not appear to negatively impact the assessment of non-academic qualities, which compliments the feasibility of using the virtual format.

This supports the idea that institutions can continue using virtual MMIs without sacrificing the integrity of their admissions process.