Postbaccalaureate and graduate applicants to dental school: An analysis of holistic review

Abstract

Although they are valued for their perceived maturity, resiliency, and diverse insight into dentistry, postbaccalaureate and graduate (PBGR) applicants face significant challenges in the admissions process. This study looks at how PBGR applicants are evaluated during the selection process at a US dental school. An analysis of metrics associated with PBGR applicants was performed, focusing on the demographic makeup, academic performance, and total experience hours compared to traditional applicants. Our results suggest that PBGR applicants who are successful in their postbaccalaureate/graduate course of study are also more likely to be admitted if they have a history of strong undergraduate performance. Our results also suggest that PBGR applicants with high self‐disclosed employment hours are strongly considered. Taken together, these results suggest that holistic review has helped PBGR applicants in the admissions process but that further adjustments need to be implemented.

Slipping through the cracks: Just how underrepresented are minorities within the dental specialties?

“…Clearly in the face of public referenda, judicial decisions, and lawsuits challenging affirmative action policies, many higher education institutions have had to abandon the use of race and ethnicity as factors in admissions decisions. The introduction of holistic review in admissions was expected to somewhat mitigated the drastic reduction in affirmative action [27–29], The finding that African American women in particular are less likely to specialize is concerning, but consistent with recent research examining gender differences in dentists' practice patterns and speaks to the particular intersectional challenges of URM women [30].…”