Effects of Radiography Program Admissions Practices on Student Retention

Journal of Allied Health, Fall 2006 by Kudlas, Myke J

Literature Review

A review of the literature showed that few studies have attempted to define the current admissions practices in allied heath programs in the United States, especially as they apply to student retention, and no study was related specifically to radiography. According to a national survey of respiratory therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and health information management programs, the five most common criteria used in making admissions decisions were overall GPA, selective GPA, letters of recommendation, interviews, and written goal statements.5 These results were similar to those of a previous survey of allied health programs in imaging, health information management, nurse-midwifery, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and physician-assistant education programs.6

Letters of reference are a common factor considered by admissions committees; however, the number of programs that independently verify these letters is unknown. This may be an important oversight because a 2001 study by a national screening service reported that of 2.6 million background checks it performed, 44% of applicants misrepresented their work history and 23% made false claims about their credentials and licenses.7 The use of interviews as a selection criterion has been questioned by some authors because of bias and problems of inter-rater reliability.8 To combat bias, open-ended questionnaires have been suggested as a time-effective and cost-effective alternative to interviews.9

Several studies have rejected the traditional admissions process and have suggested alternative forms of admissions criteria. A study of dental hygiene students showed that emphasizing a student's life experiences, personal characteristics, and community service over traditional measures increased diversity.10 The Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences uses an entirely subjective or holistic approach for its admissions criteria.11 In both cases, these admissions criteria were a change from previous criteria, and they altered the demographic characteristics of the incoming students. However, neither study mentioned outcomes such as retention rates, academic performance, or board scores. To increase the reliability and validity of admissions decisions when using subjective criteria, it has been suggested that raters be trained and guidelines for assessment be developed.12

A reasonable alternative to the present study would be to correlate admissions practices with student achievement, specifically, past academic achievement, as an indicator of future academic achievement. This approach is important and has been accomplished for many allied health programs.13 Studies of dental hygiene14 and nursing students15 have shown that college GPA is the best indicator of future academic achievement. According to a 2001 study, highschool GPA and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) verbal scores are predictive of student success in allied health programs.13 Dental school performance was shown to correlate positively with previous college GPA and interview scores.16