Evaluation of Objective Structured Clinical Examination-assessed Competence and perceived confidence in oral surgery...

This study aimed to evaluate dental students' competencies and self-confidence in performing common oral surgical procedures. It further aimed to assess potential correlations among levels of competence and confidence with student gender.

Final-year undergraduate students from Mosul Dental School in Iraq were enrolled in a summative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) to assess their competence in core skills and knowledge in oral surgery (OS). The students were also invited to participate in the ABAOMS self-assessment questionnaire to assess self-perceived confidence in performing OS procedures. Gender correlation with competence and confidence was computed via the Pearson Chi-square test (p ≤ 0.05).

A total of 272 students were evaluated for OS competence. Students' highest competence was in dental anatomy (91.1%), while history-taking and tooth extraction scored the highest failure levels (56.1%) and (39.1%), respectively. For self-confidence, students felt adequately prepared to carry out several clinical procedures although they indicated low confidence in performing minimally practiced procedures. No significant correlation was detected in the total confidence versus competence except for the management of post-extraction complications. Results also showed no significant correlation between students' competence-confidence-gender; except for the administration of local anesthesia among females (p-value 0.007 ≤0.01).

The findings of this study show that the competence and self-perceived confidence of final-year students were generally satisfactory for a range of clinical and affective skills. However, several areas of weakness were identified which underscore the need for modification of the current curriculum to improve the preparedness of undergraduate dental students as safe beginners in OS.