Relationship Between Performance in Dental School and Performance on a Dental Licensure Examination: An Eight-Year Study

This study assessed relationships between academic performance in dental school and "first attempt" performance on a state dental licensure examination for 1996-2003 graduates from the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD). The 524 graduates were ranked into quartiles based on graduating GPA. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA), the students' mean exam score (or exam section score) for each respective quartile (n=131) was compared with mean score for graduates in the combined four quartiles (n=524). ANOVA assessments, by quartile, were performed for the following six measures: 1) overall composite score on the dental licensure exam, 2) clinical periodontics section, 3) clinical amalgam section, 4) combination of clinical periodontics and clinical amalgam, 5) laboratory (manikin exam) with a written prosthodontic exam, and 6) manikin exam without the prosthodontic exam. For the overall exam and all exam sections, a significant (p