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ERIC Number: EJ1424567
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2731-5525
Current Holistic Admission Review Practices of U.S. Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs
R. Mazurek; K. Mathieson
Discover Education, v3 Article 50 2024
Background: The social, cultural, and ethnic diversity of healthcare workers should match that of the U.S. population to improve health outcomes and decrease health disparities. The population's diversity is increasing, though many health care professions lack diversity in their academic programs. The holistic admissions (HA) process considers an applicant's unique experiences, achievements, and traits in addition to academic metrics when making admission decisions. HA has been shown to be an effective strategy to increase cohort diversity by considering the whole person instead of focusing on academic metrics. Purpose: This study explored the extent to which U.S. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs are implementing HA in their admissions process to diversify their admitted cohorts. The study further examined how programs defined "diversity." Methods: Using a cross-sectional, descriptive research design, 272 accredited DPT programs were invited to complete an online survey to collect data on admissions practices. Cross-tabulation was used to analyze coded responses. Inductive thematic analysis was used for open-ended responses. Results: Thirty-five (71.4%) of the 52 respondents reported they were currently or were planning to use HA in their respective DPT program. Most respondents (88.6%) reported a positive experience, including an increase in student cohort diversity without a decrease in graduation rate. Four themes emerged as the definition of "diversity": ethnicity (i.e., under-represented minorities), other demographics, life experiences, and challenges overcome. Conclusion: Although this study represents a sample of DPT programs, the data show most programs using HA and have experienced increased diversity without a risk to academic performance.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2123/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A