Correlation of admission criteria with dental school performance and attrition

This study was conducted to provide current information on the relationship between admission criteria and dental school performance, including the association of admission criteria and dental school outcomes such as remediation and attrition. Standard tests of bivariate association and multivariate regression models appropriate for continuous and discrete dependent variables were used to examine the relationship between multiple indicators of admission criteria and dental school performance for six recent classes at the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD). The admission criteria included the undergraduate science grade point average (GPA), undergraduate non-science GPA, Dental Admissions Test (DAT) academic score, Perceptual Motor Aptitude Test (PMAT) score, and admission interview score. Measures of dental school performance were the National Dental Board Examination Part I and Part II (NB-I, NB-II) scores, yearly and final dental school GPA, and academic progress through the UFCD program. In general, most admission criteria were good bivariate indicators of dental school performance. Multivariate analyses indicated that students with higher undergraduate science GPAs and DAT academic scores were more likely to achieve higher NB-I and NB-II scores. The undergraduate science GPA and admission interview score were the most consistent determinants of dental school GPA. Students with lower undergraduate science GPAs, DAT academic scores, and PMAT scores were more likely to remediate, to repeat an academic year, or to be dismissed. Although bivariate differences were observed in several admission criteria of students who remediated one or more courses, repeated an academic year, or were dismissed only the undergraduate science GPA and the PMAT score were indicators of programmatic progress in the multivariate analysis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. E. Itaya, D. W. Chambers, and P. A. King Analyzing the Influence of Admissions Criteria and Cultural Norms on Success in an International Dental Studies Program J Dent Educ., March 1, 2008; 72(3): 317 - 328. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. C. Holmes, J. V. Doering, and M. Spector Associations Among Predental Credentials and Measures of Dental School Achievement J Dent Educ., February 1, 2008; 72(2): 142 - 152. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A. Curtis, S. L. Lind, O. Plesh, and F. C. Finzen Correlation of Admissions Criteria with Academic Performance in Dental Students J Dent Educ., October 1, 2007; 71(10): 1314 - 1321. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Poole, V. M. Catano, and D.P. Cunningham Predicting Performance in Canadian Dental Schools: The New CDA Structured Interview, a New Personality Assessment, and the DAT J Dent Educ., May 1, 2007; 71(5): 664 - 676. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Kingsley, J. Sewell, M. Ditmyer, S. O'Malley, and G. M. Galbraith Creating an Evidence-Based Admissions Formula for a New Dental School: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Dental Medicine J Dent Educ., April 1, 2007; 71(4): 492 - 500. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Kim and J. I. Lee Variables Predicting Students' First Semester Achievement in a Graduate-Entry Dental School in Korea J Dent Educ., April 1, 2007; 71(4): 550 - 556. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. E. Mentasti and E. A. Thibodeau Nonacademic characteristics of dental school applicants. J Dent Educ., October 1, 2006; 70(10): 1043 - 1050. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. M. Stewart, R. E. Bates Jr., G. E. Smith, and L. Young Impact of Gender on Dental State Licensure Examination Performance J Dent Educ., May 1, 2006; 70(5): 525 - 530. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. L. Rowland and P. S. Casamassimo Principal Dental Admissions Officers: Who Are Dentistry's Gatekeepers? J Dent Educ., April 1, 2006; 70(4): 441 - 447. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. V. Bergman, S. M. Susarla, T. H. Howell, and N. Y. Karimbux Dental Admission Test Scores and Performance on NBDE Part I, Revisited. J Dent Educ., March 1, 2006; 70(3): 258 - 262. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. R. Ranney, M. B. Wilson, and R. B. Bennett Evaluation of Applicants to Predoctoral Dental Education Programs: Review of the Literature J Dent Educ., October 1, 2005; 69(10): 1095 - 1106. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Jedrychowski and R. Lindemann Comparing Standardized Measures of Diligence and Achievement with Dental Student Academic Performance J Dent Educ., April 1, 2005; 69(4): 434 - 439. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. C. Gadbury-Amyot, K. K. Bray, B. S. Branson, L. Holt, N. Keselyak, T. V. Mitchell, and K. B. Williams Predictive Validity of Dental Hygiene Competency Assessment Measures on One-Shot Clinical Licensure Examinations J Dent Educ., March 1, 2005; 69(3): 363 - 370. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. R. Markiewicz Enrollment, Cost, and Academic Admission Criteria of U.S. Dental Schools by Geographic Region and Institution Type J Dent Educ., November 1, 2004; 68(11): 1133 - 1138. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Smithers, V.M. Catano, and D.P. Cunningham What Predicts Performance in Canadian Dental Schools? J Dent Educ., June 1, 2004; 68(6): 598 - 613. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]