Results of the National Dental Examining Board of Canada written examination and implications for certification

Abstract

In 1994, following a request from the ten Provincial Licensing Authorities, the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) implemented significant changes to the certification process for dentists seeking a license to practice in Canada. Prior to 1994, graduates of accredited Canadian dental programs were certified without further examination while graduates of United States and other international programs (non‐Canadian, non‐U.S.) were required to complete successfully a written and three‐phase clinical certification examination. Changes implemented in 1994 required graduates of accredited Canadian programs to take both a Written and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Examination. The analysis of the results of the Written Examination for all candidates over the 1994–1996 period supports the following conclusions. There was no meaningful difference in performance of graduates across the ten Canadian dental programs; there was a small difference between the performance of graduates of Canadian and U.S. programs; and Canadian and U.S. graduates performed significantly better than graduates of other international programs. This level of candidate performance and changes to the respective accreditation processes supported the formal agreement providing reciprocal recognition of dental accreditation in Canada and the United States. As of January 1, 1997, graduates of dental programs in Canada and the United States are required to take the same certification examination while international graduates are required to complete a different certification process. These changes to the certification process were ratified by all ten Provincial Licensing Authorities, therefore maintaining a system of national portability for dental licensure in Canada that does not require preclinical or clinical board examinations for graduates of accredited North American dental programs.

Assessing communication skills for medical interviews in a postgraduate clinical training course at Hiroshima University Dental Hospital

“…Individual and total scores given by instructors in the second interview were higher than those in the first interview and displayed correlation to scores given by residents in the second interview. The results may, therefore, suggest that the educational benefits of OSCEs can be seen even after only one OSCE (9–14). However, scores given by residents did not completely match the scores given by instructors in the second interview.…”

“…Objective assessments and feedback enable test subjects to ascertain clearly what they are proficient at and what they are lacking. If students are willing to learn, OSCEs can be highly effective tools (9, 10).…”

“…In the second medical interview, as reflected by better correlation in total scores and individual scores, the residents had learned from the results of the first medical interview and feedback, revealing that the residents were able to firmly understand and act to remedy their inadequacies. This may be one of the advantages associated with OSCEs (9–11).…”

“…Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has proved to be a highly reproducible and objective technique for assessing medical interviews (9, 10). High face validity, content validity and reliability are the educational advantages associated with OSCE (11–14).…”

Should Live Patient Licensing Examinations in Dentistry Be Discontinued? Two Viewpoints

“…In 1971, when the ADA surveyed its members’ attitudes, the majority of the responding members endorsed national reciprocity for initial entry licensure 24 . In 1994, Canada initiated a non‐patient‐based licensure exam—the National Dental Examining Board of Canada Examination—that is comprised of a written exam and an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) for graduates from accredited Canadian and U.S. dental programs 25 …”