In this invited commentary, Kirsty & Jen explore ways the 'social imperative' appears, and is addressed, in medical school admissions.
Inspired by Marceau et al.'s timely concept analysis "Validity as a social imperative for assessment in health professions education", in this commentary, Kirsty and Jen consider the influence of ‘validity as a social imperative’ on the medical school admissions process.
The article discusses this 'imperative' from two key angles: Firstly, how to ensure that medical school admissions are valid (selecting and rejecting the ‘right’ individuals on their ability and skills); and secondly, how to meet the growing imperative that those assessed as suitable for medical school will go on to meet the health care needs of the whole population.
The article considers how these imperatives have started to permeate through the planning, implementation and evaluation of admissions processes, and discusses the potential benefits - as well as the challenges - these imperatives bring.