Aptitude testing and the selection of dental students

Spratley, M. H.

doi:10.1111/j.1834-7819.1990.tb05883.x

Cited by 25 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…2,3,5,9,22 Rather than attempting to design another predictive test, the primary aim of this study was to establish whether dentists and dental students have problems with the interpretation of depth and distance. It is obvious that many did have significant problems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1,7,8,10,11 Although it is acknowledged that manual dexterity is an essential and highly desirable quality for a dental student to possess, and studies have examined vision in dental populations, the number of studies that have examined interactions between manual dexterity and vision are few. 5,9,10 Good eyesight is essential to providing the best dental care for patients. 7,11 It is interesting that dentists and dental students as a group have been found to be recalcitrant regarding frequency of eye examinations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Depth and Distance Perception of Dentists and Dental Students

Dimitrijevic¹,

Kahler²,

Evans³

et al. 2011

Operative Dentistry

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SUMMARYThe quality of work carried out by dentists is dependent, among other things, on experience, training, and manual dexterity. Historical focus on the latter as a predictor of dental performance has failed to recognize that dental competence also requires good perceptual and visual skills, not only for gathering information but also for judging positions, distances, and the size of objects and shapes. Most predictive tests ignore visual and interpretative deficiencies that could make individual acquisition of skills and interpretation of instructions difficult. Ability to estimate depth and distance, the manner in which students learn this ability, whether and how it can be taught, or whether there is an association among ability, stereopsis, and dental performance has not been thoroughly examined; nor has the perception that dental students fully understand verbal and written instruction relating to depth and distance. This study investigated the ability of dentists and dental students to estimate and reproduce small depths and distances and the relationship of this ability to stereopsis, dental experience, and student performance. A total of 163 undergraduate dental students from three year groups and 20 experienced dentists and specialists performed three tasks. A depth-perception task involved estimation of the depth of two sets (2-mm or 4-mm wide) of nine computer milled slots ranging in depth from 0.5 to 4.0 mm. A distance task involved estimation of the width of specially prepared printed square blocks. In a writing task, participants recorded distances across a printed line on separate sheets of paper. All tasks were conducted at set positions in custom-made transportable light boxes. Stereopsis and visual acuity were also measured. Ability to perform perceptual tasks varied enormously, with the level of accuracy dependent on the type of task and dental experience. Many students had considerable difficulty in estimating depth. Inexperienced students performed poorly. Most participants overestimated depth and distance estimation tasks, but underestimated when required to draw distances. Smaller depths and distances were easier to estimate than larger ones. All groups overestimated depth more in 4-mm-wide blocks than in 2-mm-wide blocks. There was no correlation found between depth and distance estimation and stereopsis scores or with the overall grades tested. This study highlights that some dentists and many dental students, particularly early in their course, have great difficulty in accurately gauging depths and distances. It is proposed that that this could impact significantly on a student's ability to interpret verbal and written preclinical instruction and could make the acquisition of manual skills and interpretation of clinical instruction difficult. Routine testing of all undergraduate dental students for perceptual and visual difficulties is recommended, so that those with difficulties can be identified and problems remedied, if possible, early in their course.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depth and Distance Perception of Dentists and Dental Students

Dimitrijevic¹,

Kahler²,

Evans³

et al. 2011

Operative Dentistry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It has been validated in reducing student dropout rates, however, its value in assessing manual skills is questionable. 22 Studies showed no clear relationship between secondary school grades and clinical competence in medicine or dentistry. 17 It was suggested that effectiveness and success in medical or dental studies requires not only sound academic ability but also a variety of noncognitive skills and qualities, along with a positive attitude toward the profession.…”

Section: Correlation Between Handwriting Drawing Skills and Dental Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation between Handwriting, Drawing Skills and Dental Skills of Junior Dental Students

Al-Johany

AlShaafi²,

Bin-Shuwaish³

et al. 2011

The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice

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Learning fine motor skills is a pre-requisite for succeeding in dental practice and it is sometimes challenging for dental students. Most of the methods used in the selection process depend on evaluation of intellectual ability or structured interview while manual competence is not. However, no test on aptitude or manual dexterity is used as criteria. Objective:The purpose of the present study intended to evaluate the fine motor skills of beginning dental students which could in turn be used as a method of selection of students for the dental degree admission process. Materials and methods:A study was conducted among 71 second year dental students at College of Dentistry, King Saud University in Riyadh. A test composed of three parts, writing an answer for a question in four lines, drawing a picture of a smile and doing a class 1 amalgam preparation on a plastic molar tooth. The students were evaluated based on their handwriting, basic drawing skills and their skills in performing the tooth preparation by experts in each fields following certain criteria. Results:The results showed a significant correlation between writing and drawing skills and dental skills of the student with p < 0.001. Conclusions:The results of the current study support the use of the writing or drawing test as one of the test used for the applicants for dental school admission. However, the value given to such test in the selection of students needs further investigations and consensus.

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“…Really, dental students should acquire an 'aca demic biomedical knowledge and gain the professional skills and attitudes of a broadly based general practitioner'. 2,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Although an admission test (based on a multiple choice test, including ques tions on biology, mathematics, phys ics, chemistry and general culture, on a psycho-attitudinal test and on the high school degree) is in use at the Catholic University of Rome for applicants for the CLOPD, during the past few years we were permitted to systematically investigate BMD, for research purposes, thanks to a specific examination of manual ability, even if it was not intended to have any effect on admission itself. The examin ers' curiosity had been aroused by the fact that even university students who were distinguished both for their school performance and their achievements were rather clumsy at the beginning of practical training, both clinical and in the laboratory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is manual dexterity essential in the selection of dental students?

Giuliani¹,

Lajolo

Clemente³

et al. 2007

Br Dent J

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Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether basic manual dexterity (BMD) could be an important parameter in selecting students for the Degree in Dentistry (CLOPD) and to assess whether initial manual dexterity in students admitted to the CLOPD can improve with training in pre-clinical and clinical practice. Design Observational study. Setting The study was carried out at the Catholic University of Rome, in five consecutive academic years. Subjects and methods Four hundred and thirty-three subjects (262 males and 171 females) were tested (10 different exercises) in fi ve consecutive years. Two retests were performed after three and five years respectively from the beginning of the experi mentation. Main outcome measures The scores of individual exercises were averaged for each candidate, assessing the mean value of basic manual dexterity score (BMDS). Results It was possible to observe some differences among candi dates coming from different types of high schools, since those having a prior university degree or a scientific high school degree proved better than those with classical or vocational high school qualifications (p < 0.05). A statistically signifi cant improvement of BMDS has been observed in students who attended the CLOPD for at least 32 months. Conclusions Data obtained revealed that basic manual dexterity is not essential in the selection of dental students. Students who could fol low training significantly improved in their manual ability.

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Aptitude testing and the selection of dental students

Cited by 25 publications

References 53 publications

Depth and Distance Perception of Dentists and Dental Students

Depth and Distance Perception of Dentists and Dental Students

Correlation between Handwriting, Drawing Skills and Dental Skills of Junior Dental Students

Is manual dexterity essential in the selection of dental students?

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