Effectiveness of a national board review course for dental students

In view of national concerns about student aptitude and overcrowded curricula, the effectiveness of review courses must be evaluated objectively. The present study is a statistical analysis of the impact of a review course on National Board Examination (NBE) Part I performance at the University of Detroit. The performance of dental students who had taken the course between 1985 and 1987 (N = 175) was compared to that of the prior three classes (N = 212). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to adjust and compare mean scores on the NBE, using entering GPA and DAT scores, both measures of aptitude, as covariates. Only two of the five NBE scores demonstrated significant improvement. While aptitude contributed as much as 23 percent to NBE performance, the contribution of the review course was limited to 1.5 percent. The review course was most effective in areas that (1) were covered during the greatest number of terms, (2) were presented most recently, or (3) had the least number of topics on the NBE. This strategy for evaluating course effectiveness permits a dental school to easily assess the value of an NBE review course, as well as identify strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum.