Rar Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 FYI http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/mdprog/casper.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janny_jan Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 Hahahaha Have fun next year everyone! Get ready for some hilariously corny acting in the videos Not going to lie, after beta testing the program, I'm glad this past year's cycle didn't have to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatonekid Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 I was just about to make a thread for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hastin11 Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 Wow...glad I got in this year and dont have to deal with this. Seems like an unnecessary stress increase IMO. Edit: And lol at the fact that they STILL make you complete the autobio submission just in case! I know they dont mean it, but it seems so brutal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
small_town_girl Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 Wow...glad I got in this year and dont have to deal with this. Seems like an unnecessary stress increase IMO. Edit: And lol at the fact that they STILL make you complete the autobio submission just in case! I know they dont mean it, but it seems so brutal Bah that's annoying we'll still have to do the autobiographical submission. Hmmm...I not too upset by this...I never got an interview last year, and maybe it's because my autobio submission was scored low. Maybe this will work out better for some people? meh we'll see lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugahaiger Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 i liked the idea of it but it just does not seem practical. when i tried it this year, there were a ton of technical glitches (and i have a good computer and good internet that passed their computer system pre-test)...don't see how they avoid technical problems since a lot of it depends on the user. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leescait Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 Same here, when I did the demo. My computer passed the pretest, and then it wouldn't work. Fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Femto Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 I actually think this will be pretty good - there is no way to accurately prepare something before hand, making it a pretty representative measure. That is the theory, correct? I have a question for everyone though. Do you not think it is important to put an applicant's GPA into context with what they do outside of school? I mean, if an applicant were to only ever do school work with their life (as I am sure that is the case for many 4.0 students), is it not important to put that 4.0 into context when, say, comparing them to an applicant who may have a slightly lower GPA (or even the same for that matter), but has been actively involved in hugely time consuming and socially significant activities? Although it was possible to have significant outside assistance with the autobio submission before, at least it enabled the ad comm to put the applican't GPA into context with their life a little more than what it appears CASPer will be able to. Am I wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leescait Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 But from what I understand, Mac barely looks at extracurriculars (although i was asked about it in my interview). I agree with you, Femto - I worked all through my undergrad and Master's because otherwise I wouldn't be able to feed/house myself . . . and I think that that really counts for something. That said, it doesn't make the 4.0 of someone who never worked any less deserved either or make them a lesser applicant. Complicated, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Femto Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 exactly, leescait. That is a perfect example. Furthermore, there are several hypothetical examples that I could think of where a 3.7 GPA student could have been involved in something really, really significant, that may have impacted the lives of thousands of underprivileged people all across the country (obviously, I am using an extreme example to illustrate my point), only to have an interview spot given to someone who spent 10 hours a day studying while their parents did all of their cooking/laundry/general life chores. The way the application process is set up, it seems that there is no way for that first student to demonstrate why they deserve an interview just as much as the 4.0 student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leescait Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 I think you just have to resign yourself to understanding that we ALL have challenges in our lives - whether they're financial, emotional, etc, so we can't really expect an admissions committee to weigh my supporting myself over someone's higher GPA or volunteer work. CASPer might actually improve it because it's based upon how you would react in situations - highlighting personal qualities that are very likely shaped by the life experiences that we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Femto Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 CASPer might actually improve it because it's based upon how you would react in situations - highlighting personal qualities that are very likely shaped by the life experiences that we have. Good point. Has Mcmaster (or anyone) published anyhting related to their study conlcuding that CASPer is a good measure of future performance? I would be interested in reading what CASPer actually tests, and if these skills are cultivated by specific exposure to social or any other environmental experiences. Perhaps I am assuming this is the goal of CASPer. Is there anything published out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemesis Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 ...I had no technical issues whatsoever! (and I was using a six-year old PC) i liked the idea of it but it just does not seem practical. when i tried it this year, there were a ton of technical glitches (and i have a good computer and good internet that passed their computer system pre-test)...don't see how they avoid technical problems since a lot of it depends on the user. Same here, when I did the demo. My computer passed the pretest, and then it wouldn't work. Fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemesis Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 *CMSENS = Computer-Based Multiple Sampling Evaluation of Non-Cognitive Skills http://mededconference.com/documents/FULLABSTRACTS-OralPresentations.pdf There's probably more studies out there, but I just haven't come across them, yet. ...Has Mcmaster (or anyone) published anyhting related to their study conlcuding that CASPer is a good measure of future performance?... Is there anything published out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderpig Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 Phew!! I'm glad I won't have to be doing this. Even though I was just a beta tester, I found it stressful nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amska Posted June 16, 2010 Report Share Posted June 16, 2010 In terms of evidence, you can read: "Extending the interview to all medical school candidates - Computer-Based Multiple Sample Evaluation of Noncognitive Skills (CMSENS)," Dore KL, Reiter HI, Eva KW, Krueger S, Scriven E, Siu E, Hilsden S, Thomas J, Norman GR (2009) "Overview: what's worked and what hasn't as a guide towards predictive admissions tool development," Siu E, Reiter HI (2009) or pretty much anything by Reiter HI (the chair of MD admissions). A lot of research goes into these decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Femto Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 Wow, cool. Thanks for that. Seems like this will be a valuable tool, and could potentially help to solve the problems I was discussing earlier. I have a lot of respect for McMaster - truly innovative! Too bad my first time applying is the first time it is implemented Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakaqel Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 Phew!! I'm glad I won't have to be doing this. Even though I was just a beta tester, I found it stressful nonetheless. Can you guys tell us more about it, or is there an issue of confidentiality? 12 sections? with written responses? This seems like a timed autobiographical sketch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemesis Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 Can you guys tell us more about it, or is there an issue of confidentiality?... What do you think? I will say this: participating in the CASPer trial (in late April) was reminiscent of my MMI experience, a month prior. ...why does mac have to be so god damn different. Because if they weren't unique, Mac couldn't use catchphrases like "Ride the leading edge of the revolution" in their interview videos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmosby Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 I will say this: participating in the CASPer trial (in late April) was reminiscent of my MMI experience, a month prior. Couldn't agree more! I couldn't help thinking during the trial that CASPer was replacing the MMI and not the supplementary questions - they were that similar. It was VERY heavy on decision making - and with such a limited amount of time to do so, in addition to coming up with coherent sentences - it seemed very rushed. I think they may have extended the time alloted for the procedure since the website now says its 90 minutes instead of the original 75. Correct me if I'm wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakaqel Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 What do you think? I will say this: participating in the CASPer trial (in late April) was reminiscent of my MMI experience, a month prior. Because if they weren't unique, Mac couldn't use catchphrases like "Ride the leading edge of the revolution" in their interview videos! Are you allowed to answer this question: Can you access the internet/microsoft word when you are logged into CASper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Femto Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 Couldn't agree more! I couldn't help thinking during the trial that CASPer was replacing the MMI and not the supplementary questions - they were that similar. It was VERY heavy on decision making - and with such a limited amount of time to do so, in addition to coming up with coherent sentences - it seemed very rushed. I think they may have extended the time alloted for the procedure since the website now says its 90 minutes instead of the original 75. Correct me if I'm wrong. So methods of preparation for the MMI would also be suitable for CASPer preparation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmosby Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 Are you allowed to answer this question: Can you access the internet/microsoft word when you are logged into CASper? I really doubt there will be time for any kind of research/internet use, even if it is permitted. By the time you reach any kind of useful information the timer will be up and you probably won't have written anything. That's how tight the timing is. That plus the fact that the scenarios can be obscure - you might not even find any relevant information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderpig Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 Are you allowed to answer this question: Can you access the internet/microsoft word when you are logged into CASper? Yeah, as tmosby said, I don't think you'd find anything to help you on the internet. And it would be incredibly silly to use up your time going on MS Word to check the spelling/grammar of your responses (if that's what you were intending). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Femto Posted June 17, 2010 Report Share Posted June 17, 2010 Correct me if I am wrong, but after reading some of the reasearch (only abstracts), it appears that Mac is using the fact that CASPer has shown to be a good predictor of MMI performance, and MMI performance is a good predictor of practical performance in the clinical setting, to suggest that CASPer itself is a good measure of practical performance in the clinical setting. If A=B=C, then A=C. I wish I understood statistical r values a little more (which is why what I am about to say may be completely incorrect), becasue it seems as though the error associated with CASPer's predictability of clinical performance would be a lot more than they suggest, only because the error in the logic of A=C would actually be the product of the error of A=B times B=C, which they didn't seem to present. Am I completely wrong, or thinking about this way too much? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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