The predictive value of criteria for student admission to dentistry

In this study, we investigated the value of an individual selection procedure to choose dental students for the Faculty of Dental Medicine at the University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany. The selection procedure was divided into the following four steps: step one consisted of a formal application; step two consisted of a practical test; step three consisted of a personal interview; and step four consisted of a final selection by an independent committee.

Data from 196 students were collected from the university files. The following data were compared: the grades of the final secondary school certificate (Abiturnoten) were compared with the grades of the Natural Science Examination (naturwissenschaftliche Vorprüfung), first Dental Examination (zahnärztliche Vorprüfung) and State Board Examination (Staatsexamen); specialisation or non-specialisation at secondary school in natural sciences was compared with the grades of the Natural Science Examination and the first Dental Examination; the results of the practical test of the selection procedure were compared with the grades of the practical examination in the first Dental Examination; the interview recommendations to the committee were compared with the grades of the first Dental Examination and the State Board Examination.

The results showed a positive correlation (R = 0.34; P < 0.001) between the secondary school grades and the Natural Science Examination grades. The correlation was weaker between the grades of the first Dental Examination and State Board Examination. No correlation was found between the specialisation during secondary school in biology, chemistry and physics or non-specialisation, and the results of the Natural Science Examination and first Dental Examination. A weak correlation was found between the grades the candidates obtained in the practical test of the selection procedure and the first Dental Examination.