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Relationship between performance in dental school and performance on a dental licensure examination: an eight-year
Carol M Stewart1, Robert E Bates, Gregory E Smith
1Division of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, P.O. Box 100414, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, FL 32610-0414, USA. cstewart@dental.ufl.edu
Abstract:
This study assessed relationships between academic performance in dental school and "first attempt" performance on a state dental licensure examination for 1996-2003 graduates from the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD). The 524 graduates were ranked into quartiles based on graduating GPA. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA), the students' mean exam score (or exam section score) for each respective quartile (n=131) was compared with mean score for graduates in the combined four quartiles (n=524). ANOVA assessments, by quartile, were performed for the following six measures: 1) overall composite score on the dental licensure exam, 2) clinical periodontics section, 3) clinical amalgam section, 4) combination of clinical periodontics and clinical amalgam, 5) laboratory (manikin exam) with a written prosthodontic exam, and 6) manikin exam without the prosthodontic exam. For the overall exam and all exam sections, a significant (p<0.001) relationship was found between higher mean exam scores and academic ranking in quartile 1. A significant relationship was found between performance (lower mean scores) and ranking in quartile 4 for all exam sections, with the exception of the clinical periodontal section. The results of this study indicate a correlation between performance in dental school and performance on the Florida dental licensure exam for 1996-2003 UFCD graduates.
