Effect of grade point average and enrollment in a dental hygiene National Board review course on student performance on the National Board Examination.
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Passing the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination is a requirement for licensure in all but one state. There are a number of preparation courses for the examination sponsored by corporations and dental hygiene programs. The purpose of this study was to determine if taking a board review course significantly affected student performance on the board examination. Students from the last six dental hygiene classes at Baylor College of Dentistry (n = 168) were divided into two groups depending on whether they took a particular review course. Mean entering college grade point averages (GPA), exiting dental hygiene program GPAs, and National Board scores were compared for the two groups using a t-test for independent samples (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between the two groups for entering GPA and National Board scores. Exiting GPAs, however, were slightly higher for those not taking the course compared to those taking the course. In addition, a strong correlation (0.71, Pearson Correlation) was found between exiting GPA and National Board score. Exiting GPA was found to be a strong predictor of National Board performance. These results do not appear to support this program's participation in an external preparation course as a means of increasing students' performance on the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination. (+info)
AOA membership and board certification of residency graduates: comparison of three programs accepting osteopathic physicians--implications for graduate medical education.
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The purpose of this study was to determine membership status in the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and osteopathic board certification status for osteopathic physicians completing osteopathic, allopathic, and dually accredited residency programs. Rates of AOA membership and osteopathic board certification of osteopathic graduates from a dually accredited residency were compared to rates of osteopathic graduates of an allopathic residency in the same training facility. These same two parameters were compared between the dually accredited residency and an osteopathic residency. Osteopathic graduates from the dually accredited residency had significantly higher rates of AOA membership and osteopathic board certification when compared with the osteopathic graduates of an allopathic residency. Moreover, no significant difference existed between the rates of these two measures for osteopathic resident graduates from the dually accredited residency when compared with graduates of an osteopathic residency. Implications of the results are discussed. (+info)
Does performance on school-administered mock boards predict performance on a dental licensure exam?
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Many dental schools consider the successful completion of a state or regional dental licensure examination as one of the significant benchmarks for assessing effectiveness of the curriculum. At the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD), performance on the state dental licensure examination is monitored and compared with senior year mock board performance and clinical productivity to identify factors that may contribute to state board "pass" rates. A retrospective analysis was conducted of "first-time" performance on the Florida Dental Licensure Exam for graduates from classes 1996 to 2003. Using ANOVA, licensure exam performance data was analyzed and compared with performance on the senior mock board exam and clinical productivity, determined by numbers of procedures completed in each discipline. Significant relationships were noted between four of thirteen aspects of mock board performance and clinical productivity data and performance on the Florida Dental Licensure Exam. First, a significant relationship (p<0.05) was found between passing the senior mock board fixed prosthodontic preparation and successful completion of that procedure on the state licensure exam. Second, a significant relationship (p<0.05) was noted between the clinical (patient-based) Class II amalgam on the senior mock board and passing that procedure on the state licensure exam. Third, a significant relationship was noted (p<0.05) between the number of Class IV clinical composite procedures completed during dental school and passing the licensure exam Class IV manikin composite procedure. Fourth, there was a significant relationship (p<0.01) between the number of clinical Class II amalgam procedures completed during the junior and senior years and passing the state licensure exam clinical amalgam procedure. No significance was found between the remaining five mock board procedures (Class II composites, Class IV composites, pin amalgams, endodontic, and periodontal scaling/root planing) and performance on the like procedures on the licensure exam. Likewise, no significance was found between the remaining four productivity measures (numbers of Class II composites, endodontic teeth treated, crowns and abutments completed, and quadrants of periodontal scaling/root planing) and performance of these procedures on the state licensure exam. (+info)
A comparison of current Orthodontic Board examinations.
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Five orthodontic clinical Board examinations were systematically compared. An attempt was made to critically evaluate the procedures, characteristics and requirements of these examinations. Many similarities were found and the differences found between Boards may be due to differences in socio-political goals of the professional orthodontic societies organizing the examinations. By setting a high standard of clinical treatment as a basic goal, all Boards aim to raise the overall quality of clinical performance. (+info)
Improving performance on the endodontic section of the Florida Dental Licensure Examination.
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In an attempt to improve performance of University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD) graduates on the endodontic section of the Florida Dental Licensure Examination, a retrospective analysis was conducted for classes graduating between 1996 and 2003 to assess potential relationships between passing and failing performance and three factors with potential impact on "first attempt" pass rates. The three factors were clinical endodontic experience, performance on the senior mock board examination, and dialogue with representatives of the licensure examination, which resulted in modification of the endodontic section of the licensure exam. Using ANOVA, we found no differences in performance on the endodontic section of the senior mock board exam between graduates who passed the endodontic section of the dental licensure exam and those who failed this section. Furthermore, no differences were found in the mean number of clinical endodontic experiences (number of teeth treated) between graduates who passed the endodontic section of the licensure exam and those who failed. However, in 2003 following dialogue between representatives of the Florida Board of Dentistry and endodontic faculty from the two dental schools in Florida, a significant difference in senior mock board endodontic scores (p>0.05) and a significant difference in performance on the endodontic section of the licensure exam scores (p>0.005) was observed for the 2003 graduates when compared to the 2002 graduates. The mean mock board scores and the mean state board endodontic section scores were higher for the 2003 graduates. In addition, the UFCD failure rate on the endodontic section of the state board exam dropped from 34 percent in 2002 to 6 percent in 2003. The primary factors believed responsible for these improvements were a direct result of dialogue between dental school faculty and state board representatives. They include a greater appreciation by the UFCD faculty for the performance criteria used by the Board of Dentistry to evaluate procedures and a change by the board in the tooth selection criteria for the endodontic experience. The options in tooth-type used in the board exams increased from a two-rooted maxillary premolar to any anterior or premolar tooth. In conclusion, this report supports the positive benefits from ongoing discussions between dental school faculty and representatives of the state licensure board. (+info)
Performance on the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine certifying examination 1986-2002 of various demographic groups and the impact of AOA reentry resolutions on allopathic-trained candidates taking the examination.
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The authors report the performance levels and pass rates of various candidate demographic groups and the effect on performance of delaying taking the certifying examination. They also report on the effect American Osteopathic Association reentry resolutions have on allopathic-trained candidates entering the osteopathic certification process in internal medicine. Included in the study were all candidates for the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine certifying examination for the period between 1986 and 2002. Investigators performed group analysis based on type of residency track leading to board eligibility, as well as on the number of retake candidates, candidates reestablishing board eligibility 6 or more years after completion of residency training, and allopathic-trained candidates. Results indicate that medicine-track candidates performed better than any other study demographic group, including allopathic-trained candidates. A delay in taking the certifying examination after completion of residency results in lower candidate performance and pass rates. Various AOA reentry resolutions have not been successful in the repatriating of allopathic internal medicine-trained candidates into the certification process. Candidates in larger training programs have similar mean performance levels and pass rates as candidates in smaller programs. (+info)
Primary care physicians who treat blacks and whites.
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BACKGROUND: In the United States, black patients generally receive lower-quality health care than white patients. Black patients may receive their care from a subgroup of physicians whose qualifications or resources are inferior to those of the physicians who treat white patients. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 150,391 visits by black Medicare beneficiaries and white Medicare beneficiaries 65 years of age or older for medical "evaluation and management" who were seen by 4355 primary care physicians who participated in a biannual telephone survey, the 2000-2001 Community Tracking Study Physician Survey. RESULTS: Most visits by black patients were with a small group of physicians (80 percent of visits were accounted for by 22 percent of physicians) who provided only a small percentage of care to white patients. In a comparison of visits by white patients and black patients, we found that the physicians whom the black patients visited were less likely to be board certified (77.4 percent) than were the physicians visited by the white patients (86.1 percent, P=0.02) and also more likely to report that they were unable to provide high-quality care to all their patients (27.8 percent vs. 19.3 percent, P=0.005). The physicians treating black patients also reported facing greater difficulties in obtaining access for their patients to high-quality subspecialists, high-quality diagnostic imaging, and nonemergency admission to the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Black patients and white patients are to a large extent treated by different physicians. The physicians treating black patients may be less well trained clinically and may have less access to important clinical resources than physicians treating white patients. Further research should be conducted to address the extent to which these differences may be responsible for disparities in health care. (+info)
The evolving challenge of chronic heart failure management: a call for a new curriculum for training heart failure specialists.
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Chronic heart failure (HF) is a growing epidemic, and therapy options are becoming more complex. Specifically, device management of HF represents a new "class" of therapy that can reduce mortality and alleviate morbidity of the disease syndrome. Heart failure training programs seldom provide structured opportunities for trainees to gain competence in device implantation and management. This curriculum outlines a new approach to training interventional HF cardiologists and internal medicine HF specialists to meet the growing demands for specially trained health care providers. (+info)