Shut out of medical school, he blames controversial admissions test which experts say lacks evidence
CBC
Erik Soby thought he had a shot at getting into medical school last year. The Torontonian scored high on the standard Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and had an impressive grade point average.
But most medical schools in Canada now require another admissions test — called the Casper — and Soby believes that hurdle was his downfall.
"That was the one aspect where I was below the average," he said. "So I ended up getting screened out."
Medical schools are under a lot of pressure to sort through thousands of applications each year — people vying for a coveted spot and the chance to become a physician.
To help narrow down candidates, many medical schools use the Casper, which stands for Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics.
The company behind the test, Acuity Insights, claims the Casper helps schools predict which students will have career success by assessing "soft skills" — from empathy and ethics to judgment and communication.
The test poses video and typed scenario-based questions that ask the applicant to weigh in on a moral dilemma.
The questions change every year, but Soby gives an example of what one might look like.
"They'd say, 'This company that we're looking to invest in has a reputation of [not believing in] climate change,'" he said. "You're supposed to weigh both sides of the scenario."
But Soby says the test is shrouded in mystery — test takers are never given their actual score, never learn where they might need improvement, and have no idea who is rating the test that can have such an impact on their future.
On top of that, critics say Acuity Insight's research backing up its claims is poor and unconvincing.
"There is no evidence that Casper predicts future performance," said Jennifer Cleland, an internationally renowned researcher in the area of selection to medical school, and professor of medical education research at Singapore's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.
WATCH | Controversial Casper:
"They are selling this tool — and presumably making money from it — and people are using it thinking that it's doing what it says it does."

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