Is Manual Dexterity Aptitude Essential in the Selection of Dental Students

Objectives: In a country where admission to dental schools is based on academic achievement of students, the aim of the study is to investigate the correlation between the psychomotor skills and the academic performance of dental students. In addition to determining if a correlation exists between dental students’ grades in the preclinical courses and their clinical performance. Methods: Academic and preclinical/clinical grades were collected for third, fourth and fifth year students who graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Jordan, in 2014, and 2015. Two courses (operative dentistry and fixed prosthodontics) were selected. Corre¬lations comparing academic and practical grades and correlations comparing preclinical and clinical grades were done for the total samples of third, fourth, and fifth year students for each course. Results: Statistically significant weak to moderate positive correlations were found between academic and practical courses in each year and between the practical courses in preclinical and clinical years (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The correlations and its degree indicate that achievement of students in practical dental courses could be partly influenced by their grades in theoretical courses and that their achievement in clinical courses could be partly predicted by their grades in preclinical practical courses. However, other confounding factors such as genuine artistic skills of students, factors related to supervisors of clinical sessions, patients' factors, and degree of student to cope with stress of practical or clinical sessions are additional factors that should be considered.