Unfair selection systems for university admissions must be rectified.
The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry has released an interim report on its research on entrance examinations for medical departments.
The practice of several universities inappropriately manipulating test scores has come to light. In all cases, there was no mention of such screening procedures in the application guidelines prepared by these universities. It cannot be overlooked that some examinees have suffered a disadvantage, not knowing anything about their manipulated scores.
The education ministry has shown four types of manipulation methods involved. At one university, the lowest acceptable score for successful female examinees was set higher than that for male applicants in interview exams and others. Although the university's name was not publicized, it is believed that the case refers to Juntendo University. Juntendo's discrimination against women has something in common with a screening method adopted by Tokyo Medical University, where such problems first came to light.
Showa University was found to have added points to the assessments given in reports compiled by high schools regarding examinees who are still attending them and those spending a year to retake entrance tests. The university has said: "Our experience shows [students of that type] made good progress. We added points in view of their future." From among the examinees on its admissions waiting list, it added relatives of its own earlier graduates to the list of applicants who had actually passed the test. These applicants can be expected to enroll, and will not refuse to accept admission, the university said.
The university's explanations can only be described as selfish. The university also said it had no awareness that its screening system was inappropriate until the method was criticized.
These explanations must be utterly unacceptable to those consequently removed from lists of successful applicants, including female applicants and those who had been preparing to retake the test. Another case concerns a different university where some applicants failed to reach the pass mark but were admitted to fill vacancies. When informing them they were admitted, the university did not follow the order of their scores, but contacted certain applicants who ranked low on the waiting list before reaching other examinees.
Old views must change
Private universities should be granted a wide range of discretion in selecting successful examinees. Even so, such discretion must be based on the assumption that their screening standards have been announced to society.
As early as next month, an association of medical school deans and others, including those from national and other public universities, is expected to publicize a range within which discretionary screening is tolerated as fair. The association will lay down appropriate rules considering factors such as gender, the number of years spent by applicants preparing for exams after graduating from high school, examinees who want to enroll after graduating from schools affiliated with universities of their choice and preferential vacancies assigned to certain regions. It is hoped that they will demonstrate initiative in correcting the old practices as persons in charge of university education.
In selecting examinees as prospective medical students, it is necessary to heed the public nature of their education, which differs from that at other faculties. An association of private universities has emphasized that it takes 100 million yen to produce one doctor over a six-year period. A large amount of subsidies is poured into their education, and there is a limit on the prescribed number of applicants admitted to each medical department.
That is exactly why motivated and capable examinees need to be chosen.
Do applicants have what it takes to cope with rigorous lessons so they can pass the national exam for medical practitioners? Can they be entrusted with people's lives in fulling their duties? It is indispensable to select applicants from these standpoints, given that they are screened as professionals in the medical field. It is also necessary to pay attention to balancing the number of medical students assigned to each speciality in medical treatment.
In the background of discrimination against women in entrance exams are the severe working conditions of doctors. Unless the overall work style of doctors is improved, there will be no increase in the number of medical institutions where female doctors can continue to work.
With a view to enabling female doctors to do excellent work, an expert panel at the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has proposed such measures as utilizing assistants for clerical work and promoting a system under which more than one doctor is in charge of a single patient. More than anything else, universities should change their view that the number of female medical students should be restrained.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 24, 2018)
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