Exploring uses of the UK Clinical Aptitude Test‐situational judgement test in a dental student selection process

Lambe, Paul; Kay, Elizabeth; Bristow, David R.

doi:10.1111/eje.12239

Cited by 10 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Three authors reported a negative correlation between the method of selection and their outcome measure. 28,31,58 A moderate correlation between selection test and dental school assessment was found by four authors in relation to the UKCAT, 28 previous academic scores, 5 a non-structured interview 55…”

Section: Selection Tool Used and Predictive Validitymentioning

confidence: 95%

“…However, in most cases, the strength of relationship (r), evaluated using Cohen's conventions 68 (0.10 weak, 0.30 moderate, 0.5 strong), was a weak correlation between only part of the selection test or outcome measure (n = 9). 5,29,30,55,56,[59][60][61]67 In some cases, correlations were reported between a section of an admission test, 5,29,30,61,64,65 such as a single interview question, and/or small sections of the outcome measure, 28,30,31,54,55 such as a single examination result. Three authors reported a negative correlation between the method of selection and their outcome measure.…”

Section: Selection Tool Used and Predictive Validitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nine studies investigated tests of non-academic attributes, 28 The predictive validity of interviews was reported by seven authors. 28,34,55,58,62,64,65 Of these, four reported the use of unstructured interview formats 55,62,64,65 (in one case with no interviewer training). 55 Two reported the use of a semi-structured (predetermined topics) interview.…”

Section: Personal Qualities or Non-academic Attributesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More contemporary approaches still depend on prior academic attainment (usually performance on school examinations) as the first hurdle in the admissions process, but this may be followed by an admissions test, an interview and/or a manual dexterity test. [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] This reflects that seen in medical selection 36,37 but, unlike medicine-and indeed higher education as a whole, [38][39][40][41] selection, while a topic of discussion within dental education, [42][43][44] does not appear to be a major area of research activity within Europe. As a consequence, 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.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Cunningham

Patterson²,

Cleland

2018

Eur J Dental Education

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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

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Section: Selection Tool Used and Predictive Validitymentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Selection Tool Used and Predictive Validitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Personal Qualities or Non-academic Attributesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

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

Cunningham

Patterson²,

Cleland

2018

Eur J Dental Education

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“…For example, authors should always cite evaluation evidence of the selection method in question, as opposed to, for example, suggesting an admissions interview is valid simply because it is structured (see a recent paper by Lambe and colleagues). 14…”

Section: The Research Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

A future research agenda for selection into healthcare

Zibarras

Patterson

Driver³

2017

Eur J Dental Education

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| THE SELECTION PROBLEMInternationally, selection into healthcare remains competitive, and as such, selection processes can be highly resource intensive. A risk of litigation exists if selection methods are viewed as unfair by applicants and/or key stakeholders. 1 In addition, with an increased emphasis on widening access and increasing diversity in the healthcare professions, 2 selection is considered "high-stakes" from various key stakeholders (including applicants, recruiters, regulatory bodies and government) and therefore should be based on good-quality research evidence.Traditionally, previous academic attainment has been used as a basis for selection into healthcare roles and is usually assessed early in the selection process. 3 Academic attainment is often used for shortlisting decisions (frequently in combination with references or personal statements) and may be followed by an interview or selection centre as a final stage of selection. However, emerging evidence clearly shows that whilst academic ability is important, it is not the only requirement for healthcare practitioners to become competent clinicians. 4 For example, in medicine, Trost and colleagues 5 found that academic attainment only partially predicted performance in undergraduate medical training (23% of the variance) and was much less predictive for postgraduate performance (6%) as trainees enter clinical practice. | THE RESEARCH PROBLEMThere is increasing recognition and emerging evidence that to be a competent clinician, one must excel academically but also have important personal attributes and values (such as compassion, integrity, resilience and other interpersonal skills). 6-8 Therefore, healthcare professionals should be selected based on both academic and (socalled) "non-academic" attributes. However, the research examining methods used to select for non-academic attributes is in its infancy compared to cognitive and academic assessments, which have over 100 years of research evidence. 9-11 It has only been in the last few decades that a clinician's "softer" skills have been recognised as important to examine during recruitment processes. It is plausible that some academically able people are less suited to a healthcare career than others based on their personal attributes. This proposal is in line with findings from UK government enquiries 12,13 which highlighted major concerns about the level of compassionate care from healthcare professionals.Nevertheless, it is important that the research examining these so-called softer skills is appropriately conducted. Single-site studies should not be used to draw firm conclusions about selection methods as erroneous conclusions can be made when original studies are not carefully conducted. For example, authors should always cite evaluation evidence of the selection method in question, as opposed to, for example, suggesting an admissions interview is valid simply because it is structured (see a recent paper by Lambe and colleagues). 14 Whilst we agree that structured interviews have signifi...

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Analysis of moral reasoning in dentistry students through case‐based learning (CBL)

Macpherson

Arregui

Marchini

et al. 2021

Journal of Dental Education

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The aim of this study was to develop a tool to analyze the ethical dimensions during dental students' decision making, by using case-based learning (CBL). Methods: Five clinical scenarios involving ethical aspects addressing different moral dilemmas were selected. The cases were then administered to students during a course on ethics, and the students responded using a narrative technique. To analyze the responses, a criterion inspired by Kohlberg's theory of moral development was used. Subsequently, the data were analyzed statistically, and possible associations between the answers and other variables, such as the student's gender and theoretical knowledge of ethics, were evaluated. Results: A total of 260 students participated (182 women and 78 men), and 1300 narratives were analyzed. The reliability of the construct, as tested by the Cronbach's alpha and the homogeneity index, was acceptable (0.7). The validity of the construct was also assessed, suggesting a component analysis. The descriptive analysis suggests a certain tendency to solve moral problems by referring to established norms and laws. Furthermore, the correlation anaylysis suggests the interrelation between dimensions linked to patient integrity and respect for the truth, even though this conclusion is not reflected in the component analysis, which only detects a generic component of moral sensitivity. No significant differences by gender were found in the narratives, nor a strong correlation of the responses with theoretical knowledge on ethics. Conclusion: CBL through the narrative method on ethical dilemmas is an effective tool for assessing dental students' moral competencies and their possible interactions with other variables.

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Exploring uses of the UK Clinical Aptitude Test‐situational judgement test in a dental student selection process

Abstract: This study has shown that the UKCAT SJT does not add value to the existing methods of this dental school to make valid, reliable and fair student selection decisions.

Cited by 10 publications

References 21 publications

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

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

A future research agenda for selection into healthcare

Analysis of moral reasoning in dentistry students through case‐based learning (CBL)

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