PURPOSE: This study examined the use of the Tucker linear equating method in producing an individual student's score in 3 groups with bridging stations over 3 consecutive days of the clinical performance examination (CPX) and compared the differences in scoring patterns by bridging number. METHODS: Data were drawn from 88 examinees from 3 different CPX groups-DAY1, DAY2, and DAY3-each of which comprised of 6 stations. Each group had 3 common stations, and each group had 2 or 3 stations that differed from other groups. DAY1 and DAY3 were equated to DAY2. Equated mean scores and standard deviations were compared with the originals. DAY1 and DAY3 were equated again, and the differences in scores (equated score-raw score) were compared between the 3 sets of equated scores. RESULTS: By equating to DAY2, DAY1 decreased in mean score from 58.188 to 56.549 and in standard deviation from 4.991 to 5.046, and DAY3 fell in mean score from 58.351 to 58.057 and in standard deviation from 5.546 to 5.856, which demonstrates that the scores of examinees in DAY1 and DAY2 were accentuated after use of the equation. The patterns in score differences between the equated sets to DAY1, DAY2, and DAY3 yielded information on the soundness of the equating results from individual and overall comparisons. CONCLUSION: To generate equated scores between 3 groups on 3 consecutive days of the CPX, we applied the Tucker linear equating method. We also present a method of equating reciprocal days to the anchoring day as much as bridging stations.
Clinical Competence ; Educational Measurement

We compared and contrasted physician assistant and physical therapy profession admissions processes based on the similar number of accredited programs in the United States and the co-existence of many programs in the same school of health professions, because both professions conduct similar centralized application procedures administered by the same organization. Many studies are critical of the fallibility and inadequate scientific rigor of the high-stakes nature of health professions admissions decisions, yet typical admission processes remain very similar. Cognitive variables, most notably undergraduate grade point averages, have been shown to be the best predictors of academic achievement in the health professions. The variability of non-cognitive attributes assessed and the methods used to measure them have come under increasing scrutiny in the literature. The variance in health professions students' performance in the classroom and on certifying examinations remains unexplained, and cognitive considerations vary considerably between and among programs that describe them. One uncertainty resulting from this review is whether or not desired candidate attributes highly sought after by individual programs are more student-centered or graduate-centered. Based on the findings from the literature, we suggest that student success in the classroom versus the clinic is based on a different set of variables. Given the range of positions and general lack of reliability and validity in studies of non-cognitive admissions attributes, we think that health professions admissions processes remain imperfect works in progress.
Educational Measurement ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Physical Therapists* ; Physician Assistants* ; Reproducibility of Results ; School Admission Criteria ; Uncertainty ; United States*

China ; Clinical Competence ; Educational Measurement ; Employment ; Guidelines as Topic ; Humans ; Licensure, Dental ; Oral Medicine ; standards ; Professional Practice

China ; Clinical Competence ; Educational Measurement ; Employment ; Guidelines as Topic ; Humans ; Licensure, Dental ; Preventive Dentistry ; standards ; Professional Practice

China ; Clinical Competence ; Educational Measurement ; Employment ; Guidelines as Topic ; Humans ; Licensure, Dental ; Periodontal Diseases ; Professional Practice

China ; Clinical Competence ; Educational Measurement ; Employment ; Guidelines as Topic ; Humans ; Licensure, Dental ; Professional Practice ; Surgery, Oral ; standards

China ; Clinical Competence ; Educational Measurement ; Employment ; Guidelines as Topic ; Humans ; Licensure, Dental ; Professional Practice ; Surgery, Oral ; standards

PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify academic and nonacademic predictors of the success of entrants to Chungbuk National University Graduate Medical School (CNUMS) during the first 3 years of completion. METHODS: We analyzed the academic achievements in preclinical education in the first 2 years in students who were admitted in 2005 and 2006 and compared them with cognitive admission variables and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in academic achievement between students groups that were classified by gender, age, or academic degree type. Among Medical Education Eligibility Test (MEET) subscale scores, Verbal Reasoning was correlated with 'Medical humanities & social sciences' and 'Basic clinical procedures;' Nature Science Reasoning 1 with 'Basic medical sciences;' and Nature Science Reasoning 2 with 'Basic medical sciences' and 'Clinical medicine.' Undergraduate GPA correlated well with all academic achievements. English test scores did not correlate with academic performance. CONCLUSION: Among all of the variables that were examined, undergraduate GPA score was the most reliable variable in predicting academic achievement during the 2-year preclinical medical education, and MEET scores were a secondary indicator of academic achievement at CNUMS.
Achievement ; College Admission Test ; Demography ; Education, Medical ; Educational Measurement ; Educational Status ; Humanities ; Humans ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Schools, Medical

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the development and implementation of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for the residency applicant examination at Daegu-Catholic Hospital. METHODS: Fifty-four Daegu-Catholic residency applicants were evaluated by written examination, internship scores, and OSCE. The correlation between written examination scores, internship scores, and OSCE scores was assessed. RESULTS: The correlation between OSCE and internship scores showed a tendency to be more significant than that between the written test and internship scores, but OSCE-internship correlation coefficients and written test and internship correlation coefficients was not statistically significant. The distribution of OSCE and internship scores on a graph corroborated this relationship between the two variables. CONCLUSION: The OSCE presents more objective criteria for residency application tests.
Clinical Competence ; Educational Measurement ; Internship and Residency

This study aimed to identify those features within secondary school curricula and assessment, particularly science subjects that best predict academic achievement in the first year of three different three-year undergraduate health professional programmes (nursing, pharmacy, and health sciences) at a large New Zealand university. In particular, this study compared the contribution of breadth of knowledge (number of credits acquired) versus grade level (grade point average) and explored the impact of demographic variables on achievement. The findings indicated that grades are the most important factor predicting student success in the first year of university. Although taking biology and physics at secondary school has some impact on university first year achievement, the effect is relatively minor.
Achievement ; Biology ; College Admission Test ; Curriculum ; Educational Measurement ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; New Zealand ; Pharmacy ; Students, Nursing ; Students, Pharmacy ; Students, Premedical