Exploring Wonder in Medical School Admissions: Correlations with Admissions Decisions
Keywords:
medical education, Premedical students, Medical School, Professional BurnoutAbstract
Background:The capacity for wonder (CfW), which has been proposed as an important personal disposition for clinicians, may provide a meaningful picture of medical school applicants. The purpose of our study was to explore experiences of wonder among applicants and their association with components of the admissions process.
Methods:The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine asks applicants to submit an essay about a time they experienced wonder in their everyday life. Among applicants who were interviewed in the 2021-2022 cycle, we analyzed an anonymized 50% random sample of essays (n = 224). Essays were coded using the validated CfW scale and categorized by topic. Standard bivariate statistical tests were used to assess whether the extent of wonder was associated with admissions decisions and interview scores.
Results: Among applicants who were admitted, 80% had scores reflecting “high wonder,” 62% had “medium wonder” scores, and 27% had “low wonder” scores. Applicants’ extent of wonder was significantly associated with their admissions decisions (p < 0.0002), mean interview scores (p = 0.00025), and mean scores in research portfolio (p < 0.0001). Six broad essay topics were identified: connecting with others, engaging in art, experiences in nature, engaging in wellness, the pursuit of knowledge, and sports/exercise.
Conclusion: Applicants’ capacity for wonder may be a relevant consideration in the admissions process. Future research should verify our findings at other institutions, investigate other components of the medical school application that may be associated with the capacity for wonder, and explore interventions to cultivate wonder throughout medical education.
Metrics
References
Albanese MA, Snow MH, Skochelak SE, Huggett KN, Farrell PM. Assessing personal qualities in medical school admissions. Acad Med. 2003;78(3):313-321.
Koenig TW, Parrish SK, Terregino CA, Williams JP, Dunleavy DM, Volsch JM. Core personal competencies important to entering students’ success in medical school: what are they and how could they be assessed early in the admission process? Acad Med. 2013;88(5):603-613.
Prober CG, Desai SV. Medical School Admissions: Focusing on Producing a Physician Workforce That Addresses the Needs of the United States. Acad Med. 2023;98(9):983-986.
Geller G, Caldwell M, Merritt MW. The Cultivation of Wonder in the Premedical Learning Environment: Nurturing Ethical Character in the Early Formation of Health Professionals. J Coll Character. 2018;19(3):229-235.
Geller G, Steinman C, Caldwell M, Goldberg H, Hanlon C, Wonnell T, et al. Development and Validation of a Capacity for Wonder Scale for Use in Educational Settings. J Psychoeduc Assess. 2020;38(8):982-994.
Pedersen R. Empathy development in medical education – A critical review. Med Teach. 2010;32(7):593-600. doi:10.3109/01421590903544702
Evans HM. Wonder and the clinical encounter. Theor Med Bioeth. 2012;33(2):123-136.
Evans HM. Wonder and the Patient. J Med Humanit. 2015;36(1):47-58.
Evans HM. Medicine, the body and an invitation to wonder. Med Humanit. 2016;42(2):97-102.
Carlsen A, Sandelands L. First passion: Wonder in organizational inquiry. Manag Learn. 2015;46(4):373-390.
Opdal PM. Curiosity, Wonder and Education seen as Perspective Development. Stud Philos Educ. 2001;20(4):331-344.
Shiota MN, Keltner D, Mossman A. The nature of awe: Elicitors, appraisals, and effects on self-concept. Cogn Emot. 2007;21(5):944-963.
Geller G, Shin S, Goldberg H, Merritt MW. Capacity for wonder among medical students: Assessment and educational implications. Med Teach. 2023;45(1):68-72.
Tackett S, Eller L, Scharff S, Balhara KS, Stouffer KM, Suchanek M, et al. Transformative experiences at art museums to support flourishing in medicine. Med Educ Online. 2023;28(1):2202914.
Wright S. Medical school personal statements: a measure of motivation or proxy for cultural privilege? Adv Health Sci Educ. 2015;20(3):627-643.
White J, Brownell K, Lemay JF, Lockyer JM. “What Do They Want Me To Say?” The hidden curriculum at work in the medical school selection process: a qualitative study. BMC Med Educ. 2012;12(1):17.
Zheng DM, Yenawine P, Chisolm MS. Fostering wonder through the arts and humanities: using visual thinking strategies in medical education. Acad Med. 2024;99(3):256-260.
IsHak W, Nikravesh R, Lederer S, Perry R, Ogunyemi D, Bernstein C. Burnout in medical students: a systematic review. Clin Teach. 2013;10(4):242-245.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Eojin Choi, Maria W. Merritt, Gail Geller
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- The Author retains copyright in the Work, where the term “Work” shall include all digital objects that may result in subsequent electronic publication or distribution.
- Upon acceptance of the Work, the author shall grant to the Publisher the right of first publication of the Work.
- The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its agents the nonexclusive perpetual right and license to publish, archive, and make accessible the Work in whole or in part in all forms of media now or hereafter known under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License or its equivalent, which, for the avoidance of doubt, allows others to copy, distribute, and transmit the Work under the following conditions:
- Attribution—other users must attribute the Work in the manner specified by the author as indicated on the journal Web site; with the understanding that the above condition can be waived with permission from the Author and that where the Work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
- The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a prepublication manuscript (but not the Publisher’s final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
- Upon Publisher’s request, the Author agrees to furnish promptly to Publisher, at the Author’s own expense, written evidence of the permissions, licenses, and consents for use of third-party material included within the Work, except as determined by Publisher to be covered by the principles of Fair Use.
- The Author represents and warrants that:
- the Work is the Author’s original work;
- the Author has not transferred, and will not transfer, exclusive rights in the Work to any third party;
- the Work is not pending review or under consideration by another publisher;
- the Work has not previously been published;
- the Work contains no misrepresentation or infringement of the Work or property of other authors or third parties; and
- the Work contains no libel, invasion of privacy, or other unlawful matter.
- The Author agrees to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless from the Author’s breach of the representations and warranties contained in Paragraph 6 above, as well as any claim or proceeding relating to Publisher’s use and publication of any content contained in the Work, including third-party content.
Enforcement of copyright
The IJMS takes the protection of copyright very seriously.
If the IJMS discovers that you have used its copyright materials in contravention of the license above, the IJMS may bring legal proceedings against you seeking reparation and an injunction to stop you using those materials. You could also be ordered to pay legal costs.
If you become aware of any use of the IJMS' copyright materials that contravenes or may contravene the license above, please report this by email to contact@ijms.org
Infringing material
If you become aware of any material on the website that you believe infringes your or any other person's copyright, please report this by email to contact@ijms.org
