ABSTRACT
The development of professional identity for any student in the health professions involves the process of learning about oneself, the content and processes of patient care, and the milieu in which one will practice. The context of medical practice in the United States has changed as a result of a number of influences. Among them are the increasing cost of health care, lack of primary care physicians in less populated areas, lack of minority students and practitioners, increased preventable health problems related to diet and lifestyle, the need to develop team approaches to health care, and the positive and negative impact of social media to name a few. Some medical students and institutions have developed new courses, new curricula, and modified their mission statements in an effort to address the changing environment. Other medical schools, particularly those whose mission statements and curricula are focused specifically on addressing the issues listed above are asking “are we admitting the right students?” Is there a way to change our admissions and selection processes to identify and measure the candidates most likely to fit the mission of the school and to maximize the development of their professional identity? This chapter describes how some North American medical schools have addressed these issues.
