Purpose
Noncognitive indicators, such as personality type and self‐confidence, have been used as predictors of achievement. Accordingly, we investigated whether self‐confidence in clinical skills predicts academic success among predoctoral senior dental students.
Methods
Two consecutive cohorts (N = 336) of predoctoral senior dental students were invited to rate their self‐confidence in clinical procedures twice: at the beginning and at the end of the academic year. Academic performance in clinical assessments was retrieved from scholastic records. Multiple linear regression models were constructed to predict clinical assessment grades using self‐confidence scores as a predictor after controlling for possible confounders.
Results
Self‐confidence scores in clinical procedures were positively correlated with clinical and academic performance. Self‐confidence in clinical procedures and grade point averages were consistent predictors of student performance. Additionally, self‐confidence had improved at the end of the senior year (p = 0.003).
Conclusions
Self‐confidence in clinical procedures was a predictor of future clinical success. Therefore, fostering and nurturing the confidence of students and integrating self‐confidence assessment into the curricula at relevant timepoints should be a goal in dental education. Moreover, self‐assessment of confidence in clinical skills could be used to guide students and graduates in developing their own personal development plan.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still an unabated global killer with little advancement in its survival rate. DNA replication licensing proteins and Aurora kinase A are biomarkers that play important roles in genomic stability. The expression profile of minichromosomal maintenance protein 2 (MCM2), Ki67, geminin, and Aurora-A were linked to clinicopathological and outcome parameters, survival, and DNA content in 125 cases of OSCC. Oral fibroepithelial polyps (OFEP) were controls. The OSCC tumour cells were in a rapidly proliferating state, as assessed by the increased expression profile of MCM2, Ki67, geminin, and Aurora-A and of the geminin/Ki67 ratio, and the decrease of the MCM2/Ki67 ratio, in OSCC compared with OFEP (P < 0.000). There was an association between expression of MCM2, Ki67, and geminin and tumour histologic and invasive front grade (P < 0.05). A total of 82% of the OSCC assessed had aneuploid DNA content, which was associated with increased expression intensity of Aurora-A (P = 0.01). Geminin and the geminin/Ki67 ratio were associated with TNM staging (P < 0.05), and weak expression of MCM2, Ki67, geminin, and Aurora-A were predictive of OSCC survival (P < 0.05). Dysregulation of the origin licensing pathway and the mitotic pathway are important events in OSCC, and the combined analysis of these proteins may contribute to improved treatment decisions.
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