Variables predicting students' first semester achievement in a graduate-entry dental school in Korea

The purpose of this study was to explore factors that influence academic achievement for dental students during their first semester of graduate-entry programs. Nine variables were considered, including students' age, gender, undergraduate grade point averages (UGPAs), Dental Education Eligibility Test (DEET) scores, oral exam, and interview selection scores. DEET is a standardized aptitude test developed for graduate-entry dental programs in Korea. The test consists of four separate sections: reading comprehension, scientific reasoning parts I and II, and perceptual ability. GPA scores were obtained as a measure of academic achievement from ninety students at the graduate-entry dental program at Seoul National University, Korea. Path analysis was used to test the hypothetical model of causal influence. The most significant predictors with direct influence on achievement were scores from both scientific reasoning parts I and II, undergraduate GPAs, and gender. Age, scores from the other subjects in DEET (reading comprehension and perceptual ability), and oral exam scores were found to bear no relation to the students' achievement.