9 research outputs found
Discerning applicantsâ interests in rural medicine: a textual analysis of admission essays
Background: Despite efforts to construct targeted medical school admission processes using applicant-level correlates of future practice location, accurately gauging applicantsâ interests in rural medicine remains an imperfect science. This study explores the usefulness of textual analysis to identify rural-oriented themes and values underlying applicantsâ open-ended responses to admission essays. Methods: The study population consisted of 75 applicants to the Rural Physician Leadership Program (RPLP) at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Using WordStat, a proprietary text analysis program, applicantsâ American Medical College Application Service personal statement and an admission essay written at the time of interview were searched for predefined keywords and phrases reflecting rural medical values. From these text searches, derived scores were then examined relative to interviewersâ subjective ratings of applicantsâ overall acceptability for admission to the RPLP program and likelihood of practicing in a rural area. Results: The two interviewer-assigned ratings of likelihood of rural practice and overall acceptability were significantly related. A statistically significant relationship was also found between the rural medical values scores and estimated likelihood of rural practice. However, there was no association between rural medical values scores and subjective ratings of applicant acceptability. Conclusions: That applicantsâ rural values in admission essays were not related to interviewersâ overall acceptability ratings indicates that other factors played a role in the interviewersâ assessments of applicantsâ acceptability for admission