Influence of Preparatory Workshops on Dental Students’ Academic Performance and Stress on Their First Operative Dentistry Psychomotor Exam

Abstract

Predoctoral dental psychomotor examinations are known to generate high levels of stress among dental students, which may compromise their academic performance. At one U.S. dental school, all 93 first-year dental students were invited to attend a series of three workshop sessions prior to enrollment in their initial operative dentistry course. The workshops were developed to facilitate academic transition from the dental anatomy course to the operative dentistry course; provide early exposure to materials, instruments, and laboratory techniques; support the early development of psychomotor and self-assessment skills; and lessen students' stress and anxiety levels regarding psychomotor examinations. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the workshops on the students' academic performance and self-reported stress and preparedness. All students who attended the workshop sessions and all who did not were asked to complete a pre-exam survey (immediately preceding the exam) and a post-exam survey (immediately after the exam) on the day of their first operative dentistry psychomotor exam. Of the 93 students, 21 attended one, 34 attended two, and 25 attended three workshop sessions, while 13 students did not attend any. Response rates for the pre- and post-exam surveys were 100% and 98.9%, respectively. Students who attended all three workshop sessions reported being significantly less stressed about taking the exam than the other groups. The mean exam grade of students who attended the workshop sessions was significantly higher than that of students who did not attend the sessions. These findings support the development and implementation of preparatory workshops to improve academic performance and decrease the stress levels of dental students prior to the first operative dentistry psychomotor exam.

How US dental schools can better prepare their students to perform operative procedures

“…Operative dental procedures are often students’ first exposure to clinical dental practice and present a significant psychomotor challenge to new dental learners 1 . Additionally, as operative procedures are confined to the oral cavity, they present unique pedagogical challenges for instructors who must teach students how to visualize procedures in 3 dimensions.…”

Student support services: Perceptions and recommendations for the next generation

“…Furthermore, student self‐efficacy, their perception of their ability, is positively associated with academic performance 9 ; accordingly programming through wellness support and/or academic support to increase student self‐efficacy is warranted. For example, preparatory workshops prior to preclinical examinations have been found to reduce reported student stress and improve academic performance 32 …”

“…For example, preparatory workshops prior to preclinical examinations have been found to reduce reported student stress and improve academic performance. 32…”

Analysis of the Pedagogical Aspects of Academic Stress Research at University: A Systematic Review

“…Amongst quantitatively focused research studies we can also find a wide range of research samples. Most frequently, we see research samples within medical fields that include nurses, medical students, dental medical students (Van Hoek, Portzky and Franck, 2019;Magnavita and Chiorri, 2018;Dilbone et al, 2018;Kötter, Wagner, Brüheim and Voltmer, 2017;Pani et al, 2017;Brown, Anderson-Johnson and McPherson, 2016). Other studies focus on researching academic stress without looking at a particular subject (e.g.…”