Selection procedure human medicine and psychology at the University of Witten/Herdecke: adaptation to the virtual zoom room.

For the selection of students for the winter semester 2020/21, the established selection procedure of the University of Witten/Herdecke (UW/H) was adapted to the virtual space in view of the current contact ban and recommended keeping of distance. The three stations in the second step of the procedure, the biographical one-on-one interview, presentation and discussion on a subject-specific topic as well as multiple mini interviews (MMI) on the social skills of the applicants were audiovisual and in real time in zoom meetings. The medical, psychological and student reviewers were prepared for the virtual selection procedure in training sessions. Three weeks before the selection days, the applicants received information on the technical requirements for the interviews and on data protection for the persons affected by the collection of personal data. The evaluation of the virtual selection procedure was carried out by the reviewers using an online questionnaire with 8 socio-demographic, 5 organizational, 8 content and 3 open questions. The 108 reviewers conducted selection interviews in tandems (medical/psychological and student reviewers) with 178 applicants for human medicine and 105 applicants for psychology. The online evaluation by 58 reviewers (response rate 53.7%) showed a positive agreement with the virtual selection procedure, with a more favorable assessment of organization and content by the medical and psychological reviewers compared to the student reviewers. The adequate adaptation of the selection procedure of the UW/H to the virtual zoom room as well as its acceptance are confirmed by the successful execution of the selection days for the students for the winter semester 2020/21 and the evaluation of the reviewers. The results and analysis of this exceptional situation will be used to also conduct the upcoming selection procedure for the summer semester 2021 in the virtual space. A valid assessment for the future use of a virtual selection procedure as a possible supplement to the personal selection interviews at the University of Witten/Herdecke remains to be made.