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Against Intelligence: Rethinking Criteria for Medical School Admissions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2023

Jacob M. Appel Open the ORCID record for Jacob M. Appel [Opens in a new window]
Jacob M. Appel*
Affiliation:
Department of Pscyhiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
*
Email: jacobmappel@gmail.com
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Abstract

Intelligence, as measured by grades and/or standardized test scores, plays a principal role in the medical school admissions process in most nations. Yet while sufficient intelligence is necessary to practice medicine effectively, no evidence suggests that surplus intelligence beyond that threshold is correlated with providing higher quality medical care. This paper argues that using perceived measures of intelligence to distinguish between applicants, at levels that exceed the level of intelligence required to practice medicine, is both unfair to applicants and fails to serve the interests of patients.

Keywords

medical educationadmissionsintelligenceintelligence testingprofessionalismmedical school
Type
Research Article
Information
Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics , First View , pp. 1 - 6
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

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