Predicting professional school performance with a unique lens: are there other cognitive predictors?

Abstract

Background: We investigated the associations between admissions criteria and performance in four cohorts of predental MS in Oral Health Sciences (OHS) program at Boston University Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine. Previously we have reported that OHS serves as a successful pre-dental pipeline program for students from underrepresented groups. Methods: We evaluated academic variables that further affect overall graduate GPA and grades in the first year dental school courses taken by OHS students at Boston University between 2012 and 2016 as part of the MS curriculum. Demographic data, region of residency, undergraduate grade point average, number of science and math credits, major of study, dental admissions test scores and undergraduate institution were collected. The competitiveness of the undergraduate institution was scored based on Barron's Profiles of American Colleges. OHS-GPA was assessed and individual grades in two first year dental school courses taken as part of the OHS curriculum were collected. Analysis of variance, the Chi-square test and Fisher's Exact test were utilized to assess associations between academic performance parameters, successful program completion and matriculation to dental school. Results: Results indicate that undergraduate major, age and number of science course credits taken had no impact on MS performance in the Boston University MS in Oral Health Sciences program; however, students who took an undergraduate course in Physiology performed better than those who did not (p = 0.034). This was not the case with courses in Cell Biology and Biochemistry. Students with DAT scores over 20 academic average (p = 0.001), 18 total science average (p = 0.001) and 22 reading comprehension (p = 0.004) performed better in dental school courses taken in OHS. Conclusion: We report that strong test scores, attending a mid or highly rigorous undergraduate institution and completion of an undergraduate Physiology course are positive predictors. We hope these findings will guide admission's decisions and improve recruitment to, and future success of, graduate student's pursuit of professional school. Understanding alternative predictors of success may help to reduce the intrinsic bias among applicants from underrepresented groups and continue to look beyond the DATs (or MCATs) to decrease the gap between professionals from underrepresented groups and those they serve.

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

“…This difference may be attributed to reliance on undergraduate GPA as a screening factor, though rigor of undergraduate academic preparation (institution or specific upper-level coursework like physiology) may also contribute to an applicant's success. 10,11 Furthermore, it is an interesting observation that a plurality of our applicants with graduate coursework are racially Asian, but little has been studied about admissions biases towards or against Asian applicants in dental admissions.…”

“…Additionally, graduate applicants who have high GRGPAs may still face challenges in the application process due to carrying a low undergraduate GPA; a significant number of graduate applicants are interviewed after completing at least 15 credit hours of graduate coursework whereas many postbaccalaurate applicants are interviewed with 10 credit hours or fewer of postbaccalaureate coursework. This difference may be attributed to reliance on undergraduate GPA as a screening factor, though rigor of undergraduate academic preparation (institution or specific upper‐level coursework like physiology) may also contribute to an applicant's success 10,11 . Furthermore, it is an interesting observation that a plurality of our applicants with graduate coursework are racially Asian, but little has been studied about admissions biases towards or against Asian applicants in dental admissions.…”

Growing future clinicians: Can the seeds of admission data determine success?

“…Additionally, specific preparatory courses or academic loads may be a predictor of student success. A study of a master's program focused on preparing students for professional school found DATs and completion of a preprofessional physiology course to be positively related to success in dental school classes 14 . In contrast, students who took organic chemistry in a summer term were more likely to face academic difficulty in dental school 12 …”

“…A study of a master's program focused on preparing students for professional school found DATs and completion of a preprofessional physiology course to be positively related to success in dental school classes. 14 In contrast, students who took organic chemistry in a summer term were more likely to face academic difficulty in dental school. 12 This study seeks to add to the existing literature by investigating the relationship between admission criteria and dental school outcomes, with examination of outcomes by general type of course; it is an extension of prior investigation by the authors.…”

Predictors of students’ academic achievements in allied health professions at King Saud University: a retrospective cohort study

“…For decades, the admissions process for colleges of medicine and allied health professions has been a topic of interest in the area of higher education. Universities have invested large amounts of money in developing admission criteria with the aim of selecting appropriate candidates and maintaining a high educational standard [ 1 ]. The practice of applicant selection varies greatly among institutions and because of the increased number of applicants, it is more detailed now than ever before.…”