The promoters of the personal aptitude tests of the new medical students, which were carried out in the facilities of Catalonia on a pilot and voluntary basis, were based on existing examples from other countries, directly carrying out the research and documentation work and in contact with anyone. their As is the case in the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), which developed and administered the Australian undergraduate medical program from 1991 to 2018 and administered the Graduate Medical School Admission Test (Gamsat, for the English acronym) in Australia. , Ireland and Britain since 1998.
The Health Professionals Admissions Test (HPAT) was also developed by ACER to help students in Medicine and Professionals degree programs. The HPAT, which has been active for fifteen years, “is designed to assess logical and problem-solving skills, as well as non-verbal reasoning and the ability to understand people’s thoughts, behaviors and / or intentions”, as explained in Medical. Writing for ACER’s Tertiary and Vocational Services assessment manager, Alistair Macleod, is one of the ‘father witnesses’.
The HPAT “has a strong focus on general skills and personal skills that are known to be important for a competent health professional,” Macleod continues, adding that the test “is designed to complement academic performance, so it does not assess academic knowledge and does not require a specific understanding of any academic discipline.”
How does a personal aptitude test discriminate?
HPAT results, these are reported with a score for each of the three sections, with an overall name and an overall percentile to indicate how the test taker does compared to his peers. Although taking the test over a long period of time does not require skills and extensive preparation, Macleod says, “many students work through the practice material to prepare.”
Once known, the “exams” are organized in order, but there is no pass or fail order. The results allow admissions agencies to establish a cut score that meets their needs and to use the admissions test in combination with other academic qualifications. “It is a simple and trust-building tool for admissions institutions to implement in the selection process in order to reliably choose the right students for their course”, the manager highlights.
The HPAT does not recognize the medical background of candidates for a career in medicine, “but it provides useful information about the candidates’ academic ability to successfully study medicine.” The same tests are carried out in Belgium, Germany or Canada and between one and two students per course, usually found with personal characteristics and aptitudes that make it difficult to be in contact with some good personal medical practice. the patient
The maximum mark that a candidate can achieve is 300, which, once added to the other selection criteria, makes a higher mark. For the Irish Health Professionals Admission Test in 2021, “students are offered a score on the Exit Certification Exam ranging from 554 to 625 and HPAT Ireland ranging from 172 to 224”.
Asked by this question and the ability to be implemented as a Pilot and voluntary personal aptitude test for new medical students in the Medical Faculties of the Universities of Catalonia in Spain, both the Ministry of Universities and the Ministry of Health professed. ignorant of Ini. Health advises that the competent ministry in this matter is the Universities, and nothing else to assess, since this department indicates that the universities belong to the admission, training and administration of Medicine students. “We also do not understand what it means to have a voluntary experiment or what it is worth,” notes the area directed by minister John Subirats.
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