Research on selection into medical and dental education in Australia and New Zealand: a scoping review

Medical and dental schools in Australia and New Zealand have selection processes to offer admission to applicants best suited to the goals and aspirations of the programme. While efforts are being made to improve selection practice so it is evidence-based and can address health equity, selection is a complex issue. Its improvements depend on a clear understanding and synthesis of current research relevant to aspects of selection. We conducted a scoping review to describe research into medical and dental programme student selection practices in Australia and New Zealand. Specifically, we describe the current understanding according to the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) model and concerning widening access (WA) and identify key researchers and collaborative networks that have contributed to this understanding. 70 studies were included. Most studies focused on the Design and Evaluation phases of the ADDIE process, particularly on psychometric analysis of selection tools. The Analysis, Development, and Implementation phases were underrepresented. Of the 70, 18 studies addressed issues relating to WA. Seven interconnected research clusters that have contributed to current research were identified. Research on medical and dental student selection in Australia and New Zealand is unevenly distributed across the five ADDIE phases and largely focused on selection tool-level effectiveness. Research concerning WA remains limited in terms of the number of contributing articles, range of issues being investigated and the methods used for analysis. Investigations into underexplored ADDIE phases and equity-focused inquiry may address gaps in current understanding. These may be accelerated through consultations, targeted funding, and/or cross-institutional collaborations leveraging the knowledge base of existing research communities and researchers.