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JRCERT Update

Incorporating an Interview Component:

Assessing Noncognitive Attributes for

Program Admissions

Meredith R Brown, MS, R.T.(R)

tandard 1, Objective 1.3 of the Joint Review perspective. 4
Committee on Education in Radiologic For example, a committee to develop a new radio-
Technology (JRCERT) Standards highlights logic science program interview process might look
Sthe importance of institutional and program to their critical institutional administrative decision
recruitment practices that facilitate an objective, non- makers, student-success experts, other health profes-
discriminatory student selection process to assure sions educators, and college admissions personnel. A
applicants have equal opportunity. Health care educa- suggested committee of 5 to 8 members is an appro-
1
tional programs might assess the noncognitive skills of priate number for optimal productivity. Access to the
their candidates but be hesitant about incorporating an institution’s legal advice for guidance throughout the
interview into their admissions process out of concern process is essential. Legal expertise could range from a
for potential discriminatory allegations and other logis- minor role to being the final decision maker; it is best to
tical barriers. If developed carefully, the interview pro- know the requirements and preferences of the institu-
cess can be a fair, equitable, and attainable admission tion before beginning this process. All team members
tool for a radiologic science program. Attention to criti- will need to be committed, both in time and energy, to
cal components will also aid in creating a reliable and see the process development and all its phases through
valid strategy that aligns with the program’s needs and to completion and implementation. Using other health
those of the communities of interest. professionals from various health care disciplines will
A comprehensive system of assessing personal be beneficial for honing noncognitive skills pertinent
competencies during admissions and how they can to the medical industry and the development of specific
predict the student’s future success in their education interview questions associated with those abilities.
and health care career is desired. Most in the medical Furthermore, after the first time completing the new
community recognize that assessing only academic process, the committee should consider reconvening to
competencies is not offering a complete picture of the conduct a postmortem analysis of the entire interview
program candidates. Soft skills and emotional intelli- process. According to a review by Myllyaho et al, post-
2
gence, including personal attributes like self-motivation, mortem analysis involves looking for areas that might
interpersonal communication, problem-solving skills, need adjustments and identifying components that
teamwork, and management of stressful situations, have were a success and should stay. 5
shown to be significant indicators of desired future
achievements. 3 Determining the Interview Format
The project committee and program officials need
Forming a Special Project Committee to determine the format of the interview process that
Forming an appropriate committee is the first step best fits their needs. There are multiple options the
toward success in developing a program’s interview committee should consider researching, including open
process. A successful committee requires a core of indi- or closed one-on-one interviews, panel interviews, or
viduals who share a common interest in the task at hand group interviews. In addition, a more complex and
yet are diverse enough to provide varying expertise and time-consuming option is the concept of multiple mini

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, September/October 2022, Volume 94, Number 1 1