Are We Really Implementing Holistic Review?

• In Event: Intersectionality of Culture and Identity in the Professions

Abstract

Disparities in healthcare are reflective of a lack of diversity in medical providers (Smedley, Stith, & Nelson, 2003). In addition, medical colleges have wrestled with the ability to select students with strong social cognitive skills. The American Association of Medical Colleges has strongly encouraged medical colleges to adopt a holistic review process that uses traditional measures (i.e., standardized tests and GPA) in combination with social cognitive measures (e.g., empathy, humanism, cultural competency, etc.) to admit a more diverse and competent physician workforce. This paper uses interviews and descriptive statistics of a medical school publicly committed to a holistic review process to understand whether the admissions committee is utilizing holistic review in its admissions process.

Authors

• Diana B Sesate, The University of Arizona

• Danielle Miner, The University of Arizona

• W. Patrick Bryan, The University of Arizona

• Stephanie Clarissa Montano, University of California - Berkeley

• Jeffrey F. Milem, The University of Arizona

• Tanisha Price-Johnson, The University of Arizona