Factors Influencing Pediatric Dental Program Directors’ Selection of Residents and Demographics of Current Directors

Abstract

The primary goal of this study was to examine the criteria that influence rankings of candidates by advanced education program directors in pediatric dentistry. Secondary objectives were to obtain information on the resident selection process and to explore demographics of current program directors. A survey was sent in 2005 to all sixty-three program directors of pediatric dentistry residency programs accredited within the United States for the graduating class of 2007. The survey had a response rate of almost 78 percent (49/63). Respondents were requested to rank the importance of eleven factors that are typically included in the selection criteria for pediatric dentistry residents. Factors were rated on a scale of critical, very important, fairly important, somewhat important, and not important. The four highest ranked criteria by program directors were the following, in order: National Board scores, dental school clinical grades, class rank, and grade point average (GPA). Other factors ranked in descending order of perceived importance were the following: dental school basic science grades, experience in pediatric dentistry, extracurricular activities, completion of a general practice residency or advanced education in general dentistry program, the application essay, a publication or professional presentation, and private practice experience. All directors ranked personal interviews as very important to critical. Letters of recommendation from a pediatric dentistry department chairperson or faculty member were viewed more favorably than letters from dental school deans and non-pediatric dentistry faculty. Fifty-seven percent of the directors responding (28/49) were male, and 81 percent (40/49) were white, non-Hispanic. Fifty-nine percent of the directors (29/49) graduated from a residency program over twenty years ago, with 39 percent

Contemporary appraisal of factors influencing pediatric dental program directors' selection of residents

“…18,19 This study's results demonstrated that the other parts of application increased in importance and in similar rank order as compared to 2005. 2 However, the applicant's essay is higher in the rank order in 2018 than in 2005. This is important to note since it is a nonobjective measure that has increased in importance.…”

“…Majewski et al previously found that pediatric dentistry program directors valued National Board scores, dental school clinical grades, class rank, and GPA during the application process. 2 However, the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations began to report National Board Dental Examination scores as pass/fail after January 1, 2012. [13][14][15] Therefore, the previously most important factor is not available.…”

“…These results formed the baseline for the current study. 2 The questionnaire, which included demographic questions of the program director, was comprised of 30 questions with a mixture of question types including multiple choice, open-ended text entry, and Likert scale questions. The survey was placed online, hosted by Qualtrics (Qualtrics, Provo, UT, USA).…”

“…It was found that the 4 highest-rated selection criteria, in decreasing importance, were National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) scores, clinical grades, dental school class rank, and dental school GPA. 2 Although objective measures are an important aspect of resident selection, many previously preferred criteria have been eliminated or are decreasingly available, significantly impacting the resident selection process. In 2012 the NBDE changed from being numerically graded to a pass/fail grading system.…”

Can Noncognitive Components of Admissions Data Predict Dental Student Performance and Postdoctoral Program Placement?

“…Similar to dental school admissions, postdoctoral programs assess advanced education applicants based on a combination of cognitive and noncognitive factors. Cognitive assessments include dental school rank, GPA, and performance on standardized testing specific to the residency, while noncognitive assessments include the interview and letters of recommendation 12 . With some dental specialties heavily weighted towards specific personality types, 13 , 14 there exists a potential correlation between noncognitive elements of the predoctoral application and placement in a residency program, although this correlation has yet to be studied.…”