A literature review of the predictive validity of European dental school selection methods

Abstract

Introduction: Selection to dental school is the point at which there is the potential to assess a wide range of candidate attributes and select those most likely to learn, train and work within the profession. Despite this, little is known in terms of what works and what does not work in dental selection in terms of predicting future performance accurately and fairly. Given this, our aim was to synthesise the last 30 years of research investigating the predictive validity of dental school selection methods. Methods:A search of the electronic databases SCOPUS, Pubmed and Embase was conducted.Results: Twenty-one studies were included. Selection tools fell into five broad categories: tests of personal qualities; cognitive ability; academic attainment; psychomotor skills and combined ability tests. Most were retrospective, single-site studies limited to early years of dental school. Weak correlations were reported, but in most cases, these were between small sections of the selection tool and/or the outcome measure. Discussion:There was a notable dearth of published research examining dental schools selection processes across Europe over the last 30 years. Current literature was limited by weak study design and lack of long-term follow-up. Conclusion:There is insufficient high-quality evidence from which to draw any conclusions as to the best selection methods to use in dental school selection. Without this, designing selection frameworks for dentistry which are appropriately weighted, reliable and valid remains a challenge. K E Y W O R D Scriteria, dental, education, school admission, selection

Students at Saarland University dental school—A survey on their background and curriculum perception

“…Admission to dental school remains being controversial with a wide variety of processes being implemented 3 . In the German system, the grade achieved in the university entrance qualification is the most important selection criterion, whilst the completion of an apprenticeship in the dental or medical field may result in a bonus for admission.…”

“…Early exposure to self‐dependent patient treatment as already implemented in the current curriculum is a unique feature of studying dentistry, which raises several questions. These start with appropriately weighted, reliable and valid student selection methods 3 also taking into account the feminisation of the workforce in dentistry 4,5 and range up to the graduates' confidence and preparedness for their professional life 1,6,7 …”

Does General and Specific Traits of Personality Predict Students’ Academic Performance?

“…Research has supported students' personality as an essential factor for success either in their academic or professional lives [6,[13][14][15][16][17][18]. However, the studies on personality have been very few in medical education [7] and rare in dental education [19]. Thus, more research within this line is still wanted.…”

UCAT and dental student selection in the UK - what has changed?

“…2 In the UK, there is a growing evidence base around medical student selection, but few papers examine dental selection closely. 3,4 Existing literature suggests that conflict might exist during dental student selection when aspirations to widen access to the profession are enacted by using admission tests. 3 Evidence to support the predictive validity of dental selection tools is limited but there is tentative evidence of a small but significant relationship between the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) and assessment outcome 2,5 and although weak, there is a relationship between UCAT scores and medical school assessments.…”

“…While selection processes remain at the discretion of individual universities, this approach remains similar across all dental schools in the UK. 4 In 2005, a collaboration between 23 medical schools and 8 dental schools led to the development of the United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) (www.ucat.ac.uk). International collaboration in 2019 led to the test being used in Australia and New Zealand and following this expansion UKCAT changed its name to UCAT.…”