Predicting Sensorimotor and Academic Performance in Dental Students

High-level perceptuomotor functioning is a fundamental requirement for dental practitioners. The dental training process is a long and costly one and being able to identify individuals with the necessary aptitude for the profession is essential for the trainee and the training institutions. However, unlike academic requirements, there are relatively few measures currently used to predict an individual’s aptitude for the perceptuomotor abilities necessary for a career in dentistry. In order to address this, this thesis employed the use of Virtual Reality (VR) Simulation and objective, validated measures of motor functioning to examine the utility of these tools in measuring and predicting real world dental performance. Chapter 3 investigates the ability of a VR simulation system (the Simodont) to identify differences between undergraduate dental students across year groups. The results highlighted that as students gain more experience their performance improves. Briefly, the results indicated that the Simodont has sufficient sensitivity to detect differences between novice students and well experienced students. Chapter 4 provides a formal examination of the factors considered for assessment during the Dental school’s Multiple-Mini Interview (MMI) undergraduate selection process. The results indicate that two fundamental underlying traits are captured in this assessment approach- ‘sensorimotor’ and ‘soft skills’. Chapter 5 investigates the test-retest reliability of a motor performance test deployed with dental students over a long time period. Chapter 6 examines the predictive relationship between MMI scores and performance in the degree programme through a longitudinal approach. The role of Simulation in dental education (broadly construed and as identified through an international workshop) is proposed in Appendix C. Results from this thesis reveal that the sensorimotor assessments at selection did not predict subsequent academic performance. Unlike the sensorimotor stations, the soft skills stations were able to predict academic performance in dental students. Moreover, the Simodont and Kinematic Assessment Tool showed their potential utility in monitoring and assessing motor performance in dental students over time. And although the Multi mini interviews format still needs further refinement and development, this thesis provide a new insight into its predictive ability in predicting academic performance in undergraduate dental students.