New study finds university health schools' use of holistic admissions has positive impact

(Press-News.org) On September 30, 2014, in Washington, DC, higher education and health leaders will release a report that is the first to examine nationwide the impact and use of holistic review—a university admissions process that assesses an applicant's unique experiences alongside traditional measures of academic achievement such as grades and test scores—for students pursuing careers in the health professions.

Many colleges and universities use a holistic admission process to select students. The practice has become more popular in health fields such as medicine, because it enables schools to evaluate a broader range of criteria important for student success, and to select individuals with the background and skills needed to meet the demands of a transforming health care environment. However, the extent to which this admissions practice was being used across schools of other health professions nationwide and the impact it's had on academic success, diversity, and other outcomes—such as students' engagement with the community—were largely unknown until now.

The National Study on University Admissions in the Health Professions was led by Dr. Greer Glazer, Dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Cincinnati, and coordinated by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU), and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

At the event, researchers and higher education leaders will discuss key findings from the study and the impact of the holistic review process.

When: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET, Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Where: National Press Club, First Amendment Lounge
529 14th St NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC RSVP: RSVP to attend the event in Washington at: http://bit.ly/1otGUfu Register for the live webcast at: http://bit.ly/1qG7cjx Contact: Julia Michaels, Urban Universities for HEALTH

Scheduled speakers include:

Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, President and CEO, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Dr. M. Roy Wilson, President, Wayne State University Dr. Neil D. Theobald, President, Temple University Dr. Yvonne Maddox, Acting Director, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Dr. Greer Glazer, Co-Principal Investigator and Dean, College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati

INFORMATION: Urban Universities for HEALTH (Health Equity through Alignment, Leadership, and Transformation of the Health Workforce) is a partnership effort of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU)/Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). The project aims to improve evidence and the use of data that will help universities enhance and expand a culturally sensitive, diverse and prepared health workforce that will improve health and health equity in underserved urban communities. Join the discussion on Twitter with @UUHEALTH and follow #HolisticReview