Do Pre-Clinical Summative Assessments Predict a Student's Clinical Performance? A Retrospective Study.

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Medical Simulation
• Clinical Competency Assessment

Background:

• Dental students' clinical readiness is typically determined by pre-clinical summative assessments, including theory exams and simulation-based skill evaluations.
• Existing evidence is limited regarding the predictive accuracy of these pre-clinical assessments for subsequent clinical performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictive validity of pre-clinical summative assessments (theory and simulation) for clinical performance in dental students.
• To determine if pre-clinical marks accurately forecast clinical competence in a graduate dental program.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective longitudinal cohort study analyzed data from six cohorts of second- and third-year dental students (2013-2019).
• Pre-clinical and clinical summative assessment results in Restorative Dentistry, Periodontics, and Endodontics were examined.
• Pearson's correlation coefficient (r²) was used to analyze the association between pre-clinical theory/simulation marks and clinical marks by discipline.

Main Results:

• A weak but significant positive correlation was observed between pre-clinical theory marks and clinical performance across all three disciplines.
• A significant positive correlation between pre-clinical simulation marks and clinical performance was identified only in Restorative Dentistry.

Conclusions:

• Pre-clinical assessments demonstrated a limited ability to reliably predict dental students' clinical competence.
• Assessing clinical readiness is multifaceted, potentially requiring a combination of qualitative and quantitative metrics.
• Further research is necessary to refine and quantify the assessment of clinical readiness in dental education.