[Novel admission procedure for medical students leads to equal opportunities for the individuals-but may aggravate the shortage of rural doctors]. / Neues Zulassungsverfahren Humanmedizin: höhere individuelle Gerechtigkeit, aber Verstärkung des Landarztmangels?

BACKGROUND: In 2017, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled several aspects of the German student admission process unconstitutional. Consequently, the waiting time quota was replaced by an aptitude quota in 2020. Students are now allowed to simultaneously apply to all German medical faculties and an adjustment algorithm for school leaving grades from different federal states was introduced. The present study investigates the impact of these changes on the new study cohorts. METHODS: Records from the federal admission trust were used to compare the final two winter semesters before the change to the first three thereafter. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The impact of the new procedure on students with previous medical training cannot yet be conclusively assessed. While grade point average (GPA) and sex of the students remained comparable and students still prefer to study close to home; however, they have become younger. The adjustment for school leaving grades indeed led to equal opportunities for the individual applicant; however, this may aggravate the shortage of rural doctors. The current adjustment mechanism considers applicant numbers, yet less people apply from rural areas while at the same time these areas suffer from a shortage of physicians. As rural upbringing and education are the best predictors of rural practice after licensing, the shortage may worsen. To counteract this, the compensation mechanism for the school leaving grades could easily be adjusted.

Exploring the relationships between first impressions and MMI ratings: a pilot study.

The phenomenon of first impression is well researched in social psychology, but less so in the study of OSCEs and the multiple mini interview (MMI). To explore its bearing on the MMI method we included a rating of first impression in the MMI for student selection executed 2012 at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany (196 applicants, 26 pairs of raters) and analyzed how it was related to MMI performance ratings made by (a) the same rater, and (b) a different rater. First impression was assessed immediately after an applicant entered the test room. Each MMI-task took 5 min and was rated subsequently. Internal consistency was α = .71 for first impression and α = .69 for MMI performance. First impression and MMI performance correlated by r = .49. Both measures weakly predicted performance in two OSCEs for communication skills, assessed 18 months later. MMI performance did not increment prediction above the contribution of first impression and vice versa. Prediction was independent of whether or not the rater who rated first impression also rated MMI performance. The correlation between first impression and MMI-performance is in line with the results of corresponding social psychological studies, showing that judgements based on minimal information moderately predict behavioral measures. It is also in accordance with the notion that raters often blend their specific assessment task outlined in MMI-instructions with the self-imposed question of whether a candidate would fit the role of a medical doctor.

[Integration of natural sciences and basic medical subjects in the integrated dentistry program (iMED DENT) at the University of Hamburg]. / Integration naturwissenschaftlicher und medizinischer Grundlagen im Hamburger Modellstudiengang Zahnmedizin iMED DENT.

In October 2019, an integrated dentistry program (iMED DENT) was implemented at the University of Hamburg and was the first of its kind in Germany. This model curriculum builds on didactic concepts that have been applied successfully for many years in curricula for human medicine, including interdisciplinary teaching, early clinical experience, and scientific education. The first year focuses on the healthy situation ("normal function") and aims to integrate the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics) and the basic medical subjects (anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, medical terminology) in the context of dental health. Further, basic practical and clinical tasks are assigned to the students during the first year.From the experience of the first four cohorts, initial conclusions can be drawn about this stage of study. Generally, its modular structure results in a condensation of learning content, which students judge as demanding. However, its interdisciplinary approach is well accepted. For instance, presenting the basics of the natural sciences in the context of their dental relevance is much better evaluated in the new compared to the previous curriculum, in which this content was taught without specific references to dental health. Teaching the basics of medicine within clinical context and the inclusion of early clinical practice are similarly appreciated. Presently, the interdisciplinary approach is limited by the focus on practical competencies of the dentistry curriculum, as some practical courses offer only few opportunities for other disciplines to interconnect their teaching. The continuous evaluation of the curriculum and exchange of experiences between the disciplines will further improve the integrative concept of the curriculum.

Selection and academic success of medical students in Hamburg, Germany.

BACKGROUND: Student selection at Hamburg medical school is based on the combination of a natural science knowledge test (HAM-Nat) and pre-university educational attainment. METHOD: Of the 1565 medical students enrolled in Hamburg from 2012 to 2015 about half were admitted by an entrance test, half by quotas. First, we analysed sociodemographic determinants of entrance test performance. Then, we used regression analysis to describe the interplay of variables in the prediction of study outcome, the role of sociodemographic factors, and differences in the calibration of educational attainment specific to German federal states. RESULTS: Better performance in the entrance test was associated with age over 21, male gender, German nationality, first language German and both parents holding an academic degree - effect sizes were small. No differences were found for the birthplaces of parents (a proxy for migration background). Study outcome differed considerably among admission paths: Students admitted by entrance test or the quota for excellent pre-university educational attainment performed markedly better during the first 3 terms than students admitted by the waiting list quota and the quota for foreign students. Gender differences in study outcome were slight with better performance by males. The relation of pre-university educational attainment to study outcome was moderated by the federal state in which secondary schooling took place. Methods for the equating of state-specific grades are explored. The predictive validity of the HAM-Nat after correction for range restriction was r = .31. The relatively low value of this coefficient may be attributed to 3 factors: 1. self-selection of applicants which leads to a validity-enhancing effect that is not revealed by the predictor-outcome correlation, 2. reduction of variance due to a high selection ratio, and 3. high test difficulty, exceeding the demands of the medical curriculum. CONCLUSION: The HAM-Nat achieves a small amount of incremental validity over pre-university educational attainment. This effect, obtained from correlational analysis, underestimates the validity of the test, because it does not reflect the role of self-selection and other validity enhancing features of the selection process.

Exploring sociodemographic subgroup differences in multiple mini-interview (MMI) performance based on MMI station type and the implications for the predictive fairness of the Hamburg MMI.

BACKGROUND: Sociodemographic subgroup differences in multiple mini-interview (MMI) performance have been extensively studied within the MMI research literature, but heterogeneous findings demand a closer look at how specific aspects of MMI design (such as station type) affect these differences. So far, it has not been investigated whether sociodemographic subgroup differences imply that an MMI is biased, particularly in terms of its predictive validity. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2017, the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) tested 1438 candidates in an MMI who also provided sociodemographic data and agreed to participate in this study. Out of these, 400 candidates were admitted and underwent a first objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) after one and a half years, including one station assessing communication skills. First, we analyzed the relationship between gender, age, native language and medical family background and MMI station performance including interaction terms with MMI station type (simulation, interview, and group) in a hierarchical linear model. Second, we tested whether the prediction of OSCE overall and communication station performance in particular differed depending on sociodemographic background by adding interaction terms between MMI performance and gender, age and medical family background in a linear regression model. RESULTS: Young female candidates performed better than young male candidates both at interview and simulation stations. The gender difference was smaller (simulation) or non-significant (interview) in older candidates. There were no gender or age effects in MMI group station performance. All effects were very small, with the overall model explaining only 0.6% of the variance. MMI performance was not related to OSCE overall performance but significantly predicted OSCE communication station performance with no differences in the prediction for sociodemographic subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: The Hamburg MMI is fair in its prediction of OSCE communication scores. Differences in MMI station performance for gender and age and their interaction with MMI station type can be related to the dimensions assessed at different station types and thus support the validity of the MMI. Rather than being threats to fairness, these differences could be useful for decisions relating to the design and use of an MMI.

Anaesthesiology students' Non-Technical skills: development and evaluation of a behavioural marker system for students (AS-NTS).

BACKGROUND: Non-Technical Skills (NTS) are becoming more important in medical education. A lack of NTS was identified as a major reason for unsafe patient care, favouring adverse events and team breakdown. Therefore, the training of NTS should already be implemented in undergraduate teaching. The goal of our study was to develop and validate the Anaesthesiology Students' Non-Technical Skills (AS-NTS) as a feasible rating tool to assess students' NTS in emergency and anaesthesiology education. METHODS: The development of AS-NTS was empirically grounded in expert- and focus groups, field observations and data from NTS in medical fields. Validation, reliability and usability testing was conducted in 98 simulation scenarios, during emergency and anaesthesiology training sessions. RESULTS: AS-NTS showed an excellent interrater reliability (mean 0.89), achieved excellent content validity indexes (at least 0.8) and was rated as feasible and applicable by educators. Additionally, we could rule out the influence of the raters' anaesthesiology and emergency training and experience in education on the application of the rating tool. CONCLUSIONS: AS-NTS provides a structured approach to the assessment of NTS in undergraduates, providing accurate feedback. The findings of usability, validity and reliability indicate that AS-NTS can be used by anaesthesiologists in different year of postgraduate training, even with little experience in medical education.

Validity evidence for the Hamburg multiple mini-interview.

BACKGROUND: Multiple mini-interviews (MMI) become increasingly popular for the selection of medical students. In this work, we examine the validity evidence for the Hamburg MMI. METHODS: We conducted three follow-up studies for the 2014 cohort of applicants to medical school over the course of two years. We calculated Spearman's rank correlation (ρ) between MMI results and (1) emotional intelligence measured by the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue-SF) and the Situational Test of Emotion Management (STEM), (2) supervisors' and practice team members' evaluations of psychosocial competencies and suitability for the medical profession after a one-week 1:1 teaching in a general practice (GP) and (3) objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scores. RESULTS: There were no significant correlations between MMI results and the TEIQue-SF (ρ = .07, p > .05) or the STEM (ρ = .05, p > .05). MMI results could significantly predict GP evaluations of psychosocial competencies (ρ = .32, p < .05) and suitability for the medical profession (ρ = .42, p < .01) as well as OSCE scores (ρ = .23, p < .05). The MMI remained a significant predictor of these outcomes in a robust regression model including gender and age as control variables. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that MMIs can measure competencies that are relevant in a practical context. However, these competencies do not seem to be related to emotional intelligence as measured by self-report or situational judgement test.

[Selection of medical students : Measurement of cognitive abilities and psychosocial competencies]. / Medizinstudierendenauswahl in Deutschland : Messung kognitiver Fähigkeiten und psychosozialer Kompetenzen.

The German Constitutional Court is currently reviewing whether the actual study admission process in medicine is compatible with the constitutional right of freedom of profession, since applicants without an excellent GPA usually have to wait for seven years. If the admission system is changed, politicians would like to increase the influence of psychosocial criteria on selection as specified by the Masterplan Medizinstudium 2020.What experiences have been made with the actual selection procedures? How could Situational Judgement Tests contribute to the validity of future selection procedures to German medical schools?High school GPA is the best predictor of study performance, but is more and more under discussion due to the lack of comparability between states and schools and the growing number of applicants with top grades. Aptitude and knowledge tests, especially in the natural sciences, show incremental validity in predicting study performance. The measurement of psychosocial competencies with traditional interviews shows rather low reliability and validity. The more reliable multiple mini-interviews are superior in predicting practical study performance. Situational judgement tests (SJTs) used abroad are regarded as reliable and valid; the correlation of a German SJT piloted in Hamburg with the multiple mini-interview is cautiously encouraging.A model proposed by the Medizinischer Fakultätentag and the Bundesvertretung der Medizinstudierenden considers these results. Student selection is proposed to be based on a combination of high school GPA (40%) and a cognitive test (40%) as well as an SJT (10%) and job experience (10%). Furthermore, the faculties still have the option to carry out specific selection procedures.

Correcting the predictive validity of a selection test for the effect of indirect range restriction.

BACKGROUND: The validity of selection tests is underestimated if it is determined by simply calculating the predictor-outcome correlation found in the admitted group. This correlation is usually attenuated by two factors: (1) the combination of selection variables which can compensate for each other and (2) range restriction in predictor and outcome due to the absence of outcome measures for rejected applicants. METHODS: Here we demonstrate the logic of these artifacts in a situation typical for student selection tests and compare four different methods for their correction: two formulas for the correction of direct and indirect range restriction, expectation maximization algorithm (EM) and multiple imputation by chained equations (MICE). First we show with simulated data how a realistic estimation of predictive validity could be achieved; second we apply the same methods to empirical data from one medical school. RESULTS: The results of the four methods are very similar except for the direct range restriction formula which underestimated validity. CONCLUSION: For practical purposes Thorndike's case C formula is a relatively straightforward solution to the range restriction problem, provided distributional assumptions are met. With EM and MICE more precision is obtained when distributional requirements are not met, but access to a sophisticated statistical package such as R is needed. The use of true score correlation has its own problems and does not seem to provide a better correction than other methods.

Acquisition of dental skills in preclinical technique courses: influence of spatial and manual abilities.

Sixty years of research have not added up to a concordant evaluation of the influence of spatial and manual abilities on dental skill acquisition. We used Ackerman's theory of ability determinants of skill acquisition to explain the influence of spatial visualization and manual dexterity on the task performance of dental students in two consecutive preclinical technique courses. We measured spatial and manual abilities of applicants to Hamburg Dental School by means of a multiple choice test on Technical Aptitude and a wire-bending test, respectively. Preclinical dental technique tasks were categorized as consistent-simple and inconsistent-complex based on their contents. For analysis, we used robust regression to circumvent typical limitations in dental studies like small sample size and non-normal residual distributions. We found that manual, but not spatial ability exhibited a moderate influence on the performance in consistent-simple tasks during dental skill acquisition in preclinical dentistry. Both abilities revealed a moderate relation with the performance in inconsistent-complex tasks. These findings support the hypotheses which we had postulated on the basis of Ackerman's work. Therefore, spatial as well as manual ability are required for the acquisition of dental skills in preclinical technique courses. These results support the view that both abilities should be addressed in dental admission procedures in addition to cognitive measures.

The neuronal sortilin-related receptor SORL1 is genetically associated with Alzheimer disease.

The recycling of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) from the cell surface via the endocytic pathways plays a key role in the generation of amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) in Alzheimer disease. We report here that inherited variants in the SORL1 neuronal sorting receptor are associated with late-onset Alzheimer disease. These variants, which occur in at least two different clusters of intronic sequences within the SORL1 gene (also known as LR11 or SORLA) may regulate tissue-specific expression of SORL1. We also show that SORL1 directs trafficking of APP into recycling pathways and that when SORL1 is underexpressed, APP is sorted into Abeta-generating compartments. These data suggest that inherited or acquired changes in SORL1 expression or function are mechanistically involved in causing Alzheimer disease.

Cutting costs of multiple mini-interviews - changes in reliability and efficiency of the Hamburg medical school admission test between two applications.

BACKGROUND: Multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) are a valuable tool in medical school selection due to their broad acceptance and promising psychometric properties. With respect to the high expenses associated with this procedure, the discussion about its feasibility should be extended to cost-effectiveness issues. METHODS: Following a pilot test of MMIs for medical school admission at Hamburg University in 2009 (HAM-Int), we took several actions to improve reliability and to reduce costs of the subsequent procedure in 2010. For both years, we assessed overall and inter-rater reliabilities based on multilevel analyses. Moreover, we provide a detailed specification of costs, as well as an extrapolation of the interrelation of costs, reliability, and the setup of the procedure. RESULTS: The overall reliability of the initial 2009 HAM-Int procedure with twelve stations and an average of 2.33 raters per station was ICC=0.75. Following the improvement actions, in 2010 the ICC remained stable at 0.76, despite the reduction of the process to nine stations and 2.17 raters per station. Moreover, costs were cut down from $915 to $495 per candidate. With the 2010 modalities, we could have reached an ICC of 0.80 with 16 single rater stations ($570 per candidate). CONCLUSIONS: With respect to reliability and cost-efficiency, it is generally worthwhile to invest in scoring, rater training and scenario development. Moreover, it is more beneficial to increase the number of stations instead of raters within stations. However, if we want to achieve more than 80 % reliability, a minor improvement is paid with skyrocketing costs.

German Physicians and Medical Students Do Not Represent the Population They Serve.

Medical professionals who represent the communities they serve are in a better position to understand patients' social circumstances and communicate in a more patient-centered way. International studies show limited diversity and underrepresentation of certain social groups in the population of physicians and medical students. We designed an observational study to investigate the cultural and socio-economic diversity of physicians and medical applicants in comparison to the general population in Germany. We invited 15,195 physicians in Hamburg and 11,287 medical applicants in Germany to participate in an online survey between June and August 2022. The lower three quintiles of objective socio-economic background (SEB) were vastly underrepresented in all subsamples of the study and in particular amongst applicants and students admitted in Hamburg: 57.9% of physicians and 73.8% of medical students in Hamburg originate from the top quintile of SEB. The Turkish and Polish communities were particularly underrepresented in the group of physicians from Hamburg and medical applicants and students in Germany (p = 0.02; p < 0.001). In line with existing evidence, the vast majority of physicians and medical students come from the most affluent households when entering medical school. Widening participation strategies are needed to facilitate fairer access to the study of medicine in Germany.

Reliability and validity of new online selection tests for midwifery students.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Newly created midwifery bachelor programmes attract an increasing number of applicants. Hence, educators have moved away from traditional non-standardised selection methods and started developing new tools for the admission of students. Researchers have expressed concerns around the validity of such selection measures and their ability to identify the appropriate candidates. The objective of this study was to develop and implement selection procedures for a new midwifery Bachelor of Science degree in Hamburg, Germany, and assess their psychometric properties. DESIGN: This is a mixed-methods longitudinal study on the reliability, validity and acceptability of newly developed selection criteria. SETTING: The newly established midwifery bachelor of science in Hamburg, Germany. PARTICIPANTS: Upon completion of their online application, all midwifery applicants were invited by email to participate in our research project and thereby informed of its purpose and voluntary nature of their participation. The total number of candidates who took the test was 366, of which 309 agreed to take part in this study. Sixty-five applicants were eventually admitted to the midwifery Bachelor programme, of which 59 were included in the study. MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: We developed two tests for cognitive ability (HAM-Mid I and II) and adapted one test for personal and professional characteristics (Casper - Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics). Due to the Covid pandemic, we implemented the tests online instead of on site as initially planned. HAM-Mid I had the lowest (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.38) whereas Casper had the highest internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.77) of all three tests. Age, previous academic achievement and native tongue were significantly associated with applicants' performance on HAM-Mid II and Casper admission tests. HAM-Mid II was associated with students' performance in the first year midwifery exam (r = 0.31, p < 0.05). Overall evaluation of HAM-Mid II and Casper was good while HAM-Mid I received a more negative feedback. KEY CONCLUSIONS: Evidence on the reliability and predictive validity of the newly developed tests suggests that the applied admission criteria are appropriate for an objective selection of bachelor midwifery students. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The interests of university and clinical stakeholders of a midwifery bachelor degree can be represented through the development of tests for the assessment of cognitive ability and personal and professional characteristics.

Can Different Admissions to Medical School Predict Performance of Non-Technical Skill Performance in Simulated Clinical Settings?

Non-technical skills (NTS) in medical care are essential to ensure patient safety. Focussing on applicants' NTS during medical school admission could be a promising approach to ensure that future physicians master NTS at a high level. Next to pre-university educational attainment, many selection tests have been developed worldwide to facilitate and standardise the selection process of medical students. The predictive validity of these tests regarding NTS performance in clinical settings has not been investigated (yet). Therefore, we explored the predictive validities and prognosis of the Hamburg MMI (HAM-Int), HAM-Nat, PEA, and waiting as well as other quota (as example) designated by the Federal Armed Forces) for NTS performance in clinical emergency medicine training of medical students. During 2017 and 2020, N = 729 second, third, and fourth year students were enrolled within the study. The mean age of participants was 26.68 years (SD 3.96) and 49% were female students. NTS of these students were assessed during simulation scenarios of emergency training with a validated rating tool. Students admitted via waiting quota and designated by the Armed Forces performed significantly better than students admitted by excellent PEA (p = 0.026). Non-EU students performed significantly inferior (p = 0.003). Our findings provide further insight to explain how and if admission to medical school could predict NTS performance of further physicians.

Dimensionality and predictive validity of the HAM-Nat, a test of natural sciences for medical school admission.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge in natural sciences generally predicts study performance in the first two years of the medical curriculum. In order to reduce delay and dropout in the preclinical years, Hamburg Medical School decided to develop a natural science test (HAM-Nat) for student selection. In the present study, two different approaches to scale construction are presented: a unidimensional scale and a scale composed of three subject specific dimensions. Their psychometric properties and relations to academic success are compared. METHODS: 334 first year medical students of the 2006 cohort responded to 52 multiple choice items from biology, physics, and chemistry. For the construction of scales we generated two random subsamples, one for development and one for validation. In the development sample, unidimensional item sets were extracted from the item pool by means of weighted least squares (WLS) factor analysis, and subsequently fitted to the Rasch model. In the validation sample, the scales were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis and, again, Rasch modelling. The outcome measure was academic success after two years. RESULTS: Although the correlational structure within the item set is weak, a unidimensional scale could be fitted to the Rasch model. However, psychometric properties of this scale deteriorated in the validation sample. A model with three highly correlated subject specific factors performed better. All summary scales predicted academic success with an odds ratio of about 2.0. Prediction was independent of high school grades and there was a slight tendency for prediction to be better in females than in males. CONCLUSIONS: A model separating biology, physics, and chemistry into different Rasch scales seems to be more suitable for item bank development than a unidimensional model, even when these scales are highly correlated and enter into a global score. When such a combination scale is used to select the upper quartile of applicants, the proportion of successful completion of the curriculum after two years is expected to rise substantially.

On the attractiveness of working as a GP and rural doctor including admission pathways to medical school - results of a German nationwide online survey among medical students in their "Practical Year".

Background: One of the aims of the German student selection network (Studierendenauswahl-Verbund, stav) is to review existing procedures for selecting medical students and to relate their effectiveness to students' career aspirations as well as to their further careers. Against the background of changes in the selection procedures and the introduction of the rural doctor quota (Landarztquote), the study conducted here aims at contributing to the current discussion on the future of GP (general practitioners) care, especially in rural areas. Methods: In 2019 and 2020, the stav conducted a German nationwide online survey among medical students towards the end of their "Practical Year" (Praktisches Jahr, final-year medical students in practical training). The associations between selection parameters and students' interest in later working as a GP as well as students' preference to later work in a place with a low population density were investigated. Furthermore, socio-demographic variables and variables related to medical studies were taken into account. Statistical comparisons were carried out using Chi2- and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: A total of 1,055 students in their Practical Year (65.4% female, 27 years) completed the survey. As their final professional position, 12.1% aspired to own a GP practice or work as employed GP after completing medical specialist training in general medicine (interested students: 9.9%) or general internal medicine (interested students: 9.5%). Compared to their fellow students, those interested in working as a GP had been more often admitted to medical school via the waiting time quota and had more often already completed vocational training in a medical-related field. 39.1% of those interested in working as a GP wanted to work in a place with a low population density. Coming from a place with a low population density as well as completing the medical internship (Famulatur) for GP care in such a place turned out to be positive influencing factors. Discussion: The observed associations between waiting time quota and interest in working as a GP as well as between origin from a place with a low population density and preferring to later work in such a place go hand in hand with changes in the access regulations for medical studies, which concern both the waiting time quota (abolition of the latter) and a regulation of the number of rural doctors (rural doctor quota). In order to evaluate the current changes in the access regulations for medical studies, longitudinal studies are desirable that cover the time from the application to study up to the medical specialist examination and further career.

Are Exam Questions Known in Advance? Using Local Dependence to Detect Cheating.

Cheating is a common phenomenon in high stakes admission, licensing and university exams and threatens their validity. To detect if some exam questions had been affected by cheating, we simulated how data would look like if some test takers possessed item preknowledge: Responses to a small number of items were set to correct for 1-10% of test takers. Item difficulty, item discrimination, item fit, and local dependence were computed using an IRT 2PL model. Then changes in these item properties from the non-compromised to the compromised dataset were scrutinized for their sensitivity to item preknowledge. A decline in the discrimination parameter compared with previous test versions and an increase in local item dependence turned out to be the most sensitive indicators of item preknowledge. A multiplicative combination of shifts in item discrimination, item difficulty, and local item dependence detected item preknowledge with a sensitivity of 1.0 and a specificity of .95 if 11 of 80 items were preknown to 10% of the test takers. Cheating groups smaller than 5% of the test takers were not detected reliably. In the discussion, we outline an effective search for items affected by cheating, which would enable faculty staff without IRT knowledge to detect compromised items and exclude them from scoring.

Hu-K4 is a ubiquitously expressed type 2 transmembrane protein associated with the endoplasmic reticulum.

Hu-K4 is a human protein homologous to the K4L protein of vaccinia virus. Due to the presence of two HKD motifs, Hu-K4 was assigned to the family of Phospholipase D proteins although so far no catalytic activity has been shown. The Hu-K4 mRNA is found in many human organs with highest expression levels in the central nervous system. We extended the ORF of Hu-K4 to the 5' direction. As a consequence the protein is 53 amino acids larger than originally predicted, now harbouring a putative transmembrane domain. The exon/intron structure of the Hu-K4 gene reveals extensive alternative splicing in the 5' untranslated region. Due to the absence of G/C-rich regions and upstream ATG codons, the mRNA isoform in brain may be translated with higher efficacy leading to a high Hu-K4 protein concentration in this tissue. Using a specific antiserum produced against Hu-K4 we found that Hu-K4 is a membrane-bound protein colocalizing with protein disulfide isomerase, a marker of the endoplasmic reticulum. Glycosylation of Hu-K4 as shown by treatment with peptide N-glycosidase F or tunicamycin indicates that Hu-K4 has a type 2 transmembrane topology.

Introduction of the HAM-Nat examination--applicants and students admitted to the Medical Faculty in 2012-2014.

BACKGROUND/AIM: In the 2012/13 winter semester, the Magdeburg Medical Faculty introduced a test of knowledge for the selection of applicants. The Hamburg Assessment Test for Medicine - Natural Sciences (HAM-Nat) comprises a multiple-choice test with questions on the aspects of biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics relevant to medicine, which was specifically developed for the selection of medicine applicants. The aim is to study how the HAM-Nat influences student selection, the reasons why students decide to take the test as part of their application procedure and what expectations they have of their course of study. METHODS: The selection procedures applied at the university in 2011 (without HAM-Nat) and in 2012-2014 (with HAM-Nat) are compared. On the basis of the results of exploratory interviews, university entrants in winter semester 2013/2014 participated in a written survey on why they chose their subject and place of study and their expectations of their course of study. RESULTS: No problems were encountered in introducing the extended selection procedure that included the HAM-Nat Test. The HAM-Nat had a great influence on the selection decision. About 65% of the students admitted would not have obtained a place if the decision had been based exclusively on their Abitur grade [grade obtained in the German school-leaving examination]. On average, male applicants obtained better HAM-Nat results than female ones. The questionnaire was answered by 147 out of 191 university entrants (77%). In the case of applicants from Saxony-Anhalt, the principle reasons for choosing the regional capital are its proximity, the social environment offered, good conditions for studying and the feel-good factor at the university. For the majority of applicants, however, particularly applicants from other federal states, the relatively good chances of admission in Magdeburg were the main reason. CONCLUSION: The Magdeburg Medical Faculty regards the HAM-Nat as a suitable tool for selecting applicants with outstanding knowledge of natural sciences and thus of increasing and harmonising levels of knowledge at the start of the course. Completion of the standard period of study and success in the 1st part of the German Medical Examination will be the subject of further observation of the students. The HAM-Nat, as a performance-related selection procedure, is not suitable for giving active preference to natives of Saxony-Anhalt in the application procedure but their number has increased since it was introduced. Applicants primarily use the selection procedure tactically to obtain the university place they want to study medicine. Specifics relating to curricula and university profile and research areas are not critical to their choice.