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Predicting Performance in Canadian Dental Schools: The New CDA Structured Interview, a New Personality Assessment, and the DAT
Author(s) -
Poole Amanda,
Catano Victor M.,
Cunningham D.P.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1930-7837
pISSN - 0022-0337
DOI - 10.1002/j.0022-0337.2007.71.5.tb04323.x
Subject(s) - conscientiousness , personality , openness to experience , psychology , aptitude , big five personality traits , academic achievement , clinical psychology , medical education , medicine , social psychology , developmental psychology , extraversion and introversion
Using a sample of dental students (N=373) from four Canadian dental schools, this longitudinal study determined whether the new Canadian Dental Association (CDA) structured interview was a predictor of clinical and academic performance. The new interview predicted clinical performance in the third and fourth years of dental school, but not academic performance. The Canadian Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) continued to predict first‐ and second‐year academic performance, but not clinical performance in the senior years. A personality factor, “Conscientiousness,” predicted clinical and academic performance to various degrees across the four years of dental school. A second personality factor, “Openness to Experience,” predicted third‐year academic performance. The results suggest that a combination of scores from the DAT, a valid measure of personality, and a well‐designed structured interview will provide the best prediction of those applicants who will do well in both the academic and clinical aspects of dental school.