The selection of medical students with humanities competencies: Results of a pilot test; [La selección de estudiantes de Medicina con competencias en humanidades: resultados de una prueba piloto]

The characteristics of students who begin a medical degree in Spain are determined by the results of the entrance tests (EBAU). In order to select a student profile more closely aligned with the skills that must be acquired in order to practice the profession, the medical schools of Catalonia, with the health and university departments of the Generalitat, carried out a pilot test, inspired by the selection processes that are carried out in other countries around us. Objective: To develop a test for the detection of non-technical skills in students who are admitted to the degree. Methodology: The test consisted of answering three types of tests, to measure communication and relationship with the professional environment (CREP), ethical judgment in specific situations (JUESC) and, finally, critical reasoning ability (CRAC). There was a total of 134 multiple-choice questions that had previously been validated by members of the dean's teams. 511 first-year students (49% of the total) answered the test in September 2022. Results: The means and standard deviations of the three tests were: CREP (7.18, 0.99), JUESC (4.68, 0.81), CRAC (5.43, 1.02), and the total of the test (5.67, 0.62). The reliability tests (Cronbach) were: CREP (0.56), JUESC (0.54), CRAC (0.49), total (0.65). Conclusion: A test that better selects medical students based on a profile more in line with humanistic values is perfectly feasible, although based on this experience, the instrument needs to be improved to make it more reliable. © 2024 The Authors