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Purpose: Health care program admission processes utilize multi-faceted approaches to evaluate cognitive and noncognitive attributes of applicants. The multiple mini-interview (MMI) was developed in response to the need for a reliable and validated tool to assess noncognitive factors and has been increasingly incorporated into the admissions process by physician assistant (PA) programs. The study's purpose was to explore the current implementation and utilization of the MMI within PA programs., Methods: The study used a mixed-methods exploratory approach including a telephone survey and semi-structured interview of 11 PA programs using the MMI in their admissions process. Quantitative data collected included demographic information, MMI implementation characteristics, station structure, scoring, feasibility, satisfaction with MMI utilization, and MMI evaluation methods., Results: During the 2015-2016 admissions cycle, the participating programs used from 5 to 10 stations, averaging 7 minutes per station, requiring 8 faculty, 2 staff, and 7 students per interview session. Despite variation in program size, number of applicants, and years of MMI utilization, all participating programs reported that they were satisfied with the format and would continue to utilize the MMI in the admissions process., Conclusions: While there is substantial literature describing the use of the MMI within health care programs globally, this study represents the first characterization of its use within PA programs on a national level. Although there was variation among PA program implementation of the MMI, our results are comparable to studies within other health care professions. Additional studies are necessary to further describe the MMI and its correlation with PA program educational outcomes and the impact on diversity., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Physician Assistant Education Association.)

Purpose: Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) End of Rotation™ exams are used by programs across the country. However, little information exists on the predictive ability of the exams' scale scores and Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) performance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate End of Rotation exam scores and their relationship with poor PANCE performance (PPP)., Methods: In an IRB-approved, multi-center, multi-year study, associations between PAEA End of Rotation exam scale scores and PANCE scores were explored. A taxonomy of nested linear regression models with random intercepts was fit at the program level. Fully adjusted models controlled for year, timing of the exam, student age, and gender., Results: Fully adjusted linear models found that 10-point increases in End of Rotation exam scores were associated with a 16.8-point (95% confidence interval [CI]: 14.1-19.6) to 23.5-point (95% CI: 20.6-26.5) increase in PANCE score for Women's Health and Emergency Medicine, respectively. Associations between exams did not significantly vary (P = .768). Logistic models found End of Rotation exam scores were strongly and consistently associated with lower odds of PPP, with higher exam scores (10-point increase) associated with decrements in odds of PPP, ranging between 37% and 48% across exams. The effect estimate for the Emergency Medicine exam was consistently stronger in all models., Conclusions: PAEA End of Rotation exam scores were consistently predictive of PPP. While each End of Rotation exam measures a specialty content area, the association with the overall PANCE score varied only by a change in odds of low performance or failure by a small percentage. Low End of Rotation exam scores appear to be consistent predictors of PPP in our multi-center cohort of physician assistant students.