PART1 & Grad Admissions

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SeaBass

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I searched previous posts and not entirely clear on this. I graduated several years ago and my Part 1 score (written 2002) was not strong. I read the test has changed and may(/will?) switch to pass/fail.

I wish to apply to specialty programs (ortho) summer '09. Should I be rewriting this test and still aiming >90? I'm starting to prepare but just wanted to make sure I'm not wasting my time (ie. that it is still going to be used as admission criteria).

Thanks anyone for clarifying this.
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SeaBass said:
I searched previous posts and not entirely clear on this. I graduated several years ago and my Part 1 score (written 2002) was not strong. I read the test has changed and may(/will?) switch to pass/fail.

I wish to apply to specialty programs (ortho) summer '09. Should I be rewriting this test and still aiming >90? I'm starting to prepare but just wanted to make sure I'm not wasting my time (ie. that it is still going to be used as admission criteria).

Thanks anyone for clarifying this.
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It's pretty well understood that a few years of private practice or better, a GPR/AEGD can really help with that low Part 1. What about part time teaching or a day/week in the local dental school lab....

And don't count on it going Pass/Fail soon. It is delayed 1 year already and the people within our specialty programs seem to think it will never go that way in the near future. It's too expensive to create a specialty admissions exam.

You should just call the schools and see what they can tell you. There is no reason for them not to be brutally honest.
 
SaxyDucky said:
It's pretty well understood that a few years of private practice or better, a GPR/AEGD can really help with that low Part 1. What about part time teaching or a day/week in the local dental school lab....

And don't count on it going Pass/Fail soon. It is delayed 1 year already and the people within our specialty programs seem to think it will never go that way in the near future. It's too expensive to create a specialty admissions exam.

You should just call the schools and see what they can tell you. There is no reason for them not to be brutally honest.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I just wanted to make sure if I rewrote the boards they would be useful for a couple years so guess I'll get studying. I only scored 83 back then so I don't think my application even gets off the pile. I have been doing ortho research after work.

Thanks again for your response.
 
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SaxyDucky said:
And don't count on it going Pass/Fail soon. It is delayed 1 year already and the people within our specialty programs seem to think it will never go that way in the near future.
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According to the most recent ASDA newsletter (November Issue, Page 2), the ADA has failed it's bid to make JCNDE delay or change the test.

Here is a direct quote from the article:

"The 2008 ADA House of Delegates answered with a resounding "no" [to ADA resolution urging JCNDE to re-write/restructure the exam by November 2011]. .... The JCNDE forced the hand of the communities of interest by announcing the switch to pass/fail, and it was time."

As far as I know, the pass/fail will be in effect in about a year, Jan. 2010.

Where did you hear the delay?
 
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Article from AAO Newsletter (Nov 2008):

AAO builds consensus to address changes to National Dental Board Exam scoring method
The AAO rallied the majority of the nine dental specialty organizations to sponsor a resolution to urge the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) to reverse its recent decision to use pass/fail scoring for the National Dental Board Examination beginning in 2010. The group-sponsored resolution was submitted to the American Dental Association (ADA) House of Delegates in October. Although this resolution did not pass, a substitute motion similar to the specialty organizations’ original motion did pass. This ADA resolution calls for the modification or replacement of the current examination to make it secure and to validate its use for quantitative scoring by or before Nov. 1, 2011. The resolution also urges the JCNDE to retain its current system of reporting standard examination scores until a new examination is available.
“The final version of the resolution is extremely close to our original version,” AAO Trustee Dr. Michael Rogers said. “This resolution is just as strong and as good as ours, and it accomplishes all of our goals. We hope the JCNDE heeds this recommendation.”
Seven of the nine dental specialty organizations sponsored the original resolution, including the AAO, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Periodontology, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry and the American College of Prosthodontists. The American Association of Endodontists added its support when the House of Delegates convened during the 149th ADA Annual Session in October in San Antonio, TX.
AAO Secretary-treasurer Dr. Lee Graber and Dr. Rogers testified on behalf of the resolution at the ADA Reference Committee hearing.
“This is the first time the dental specialty organizations have worked together to sponsor a resolution,” Dr. Graber said. “National Board scores provide one of the ways in which students applying for general practice residency programs, as well as dental specialty programs, are evaluated. The removal of the objective scoring would add to the difficulty these programs have in evaluating applicants.”
Dr. Rogers agreed.
“I made the point it would be like being accepted to dental school without the DAT or to college without the SAT,” he said. Dr. Rogers also noted that if the JCNDE were to institute pass/fail grading, the specialties would then have to create a new examination to effectively evaluate candidates. “The students would have to take another costly exam.”
Issues with the current examination prompted the JCNDE to propose revisions to the scoring. The JCNDE is the agency responsible for the development and administration of the National Dental Board Examinations. This 15-member commission includes representatives of dental schools, dental practice, state dental examining boards, dental hygiene, dental students and the public.
“The facts indicate that the joint commission wanted to change the test due to concerns for cheating on the test, as well as the lack of validation for the test to discriminate between performance within the range the commission felt was reliable as a screening instrument for advanced dental education,” Dr. Graber said. “Our testimony in the reference committee focused on the fact that cheating is a societal problem, but that it can and should be addressed stringently in professional education testing. As to the point of validation, we said, ‘Fix the test.’ We commented that we had seen our own ABO examiners work with testing experts to develop valid tests and testing methods, and felt the joint commission should do the same.”
 
Cold Front said:
As far as I know, the pass/fail will be in effect in about a year, Jan. 2010.

Where did you hear the delay?
Click to expand...

Everything I know in life is simply hearsay! But I for some reason feel like there are a lot of people saying it was delayed 1 year.

That statement came from some faculty at our school, or maybe it was an ASDA or ADEA rep.

Not sure, but the idea of P/F is nuts.

Although, kudos to them for trying to make it harder to cheat (which by hearsay is also, very easy to do) and to the effort of making the exam scores more equivalent/comparable.
 
SaxyDucky said:
That statement came from some faculty at our school, or maybe it was an ASDA or ADEA rep.
Click to expand...
Oct.2008-H Page 4072​
Resolution 70
DENTAL EDUCATION AND
RELATED MATTERS​


JOINT COMMISSION ON NATIONAL DENTAL EXAMINATIONS (1 JCNDE)
USE OF PASS/FAIL ON NATIONAL BOARD EXAMS​

The following resolution was submitted by the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (AAOMP), the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) and the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) and transmitted on October 2, 2008, by Ms. Carla Qualls, director of leadership entities, AAO.

Background: The JCNDE recently decided to report only pass/fail on the National Board Exams and to eliminate the ranking of all dental students. This is a substantial departure from past approaches, and eliminates a valuable evaluation tool for dental students, dental schools and the dental profession.

The current system of scoring students is a critical aspect of promoting excellence in both predoctoral and advanced program education. It encourages both individuals (students) and educational institutions to promote higher levels of learning and performance. The elimination of traditional grading systems undermines a principal aspect of the current measurement approach: competition. Without competition, it is obvious that the motivation to be better on the part of all communities will be lessened, if not nonexistent. The end result of this new approach will inevitably be a lower standard of dental care for the public.

In addition, these scores are used by the General Practice Residency and Specialty Programs to evaluate applicants for advanced dental education opportunities. A pass/fail score would mean that these programs may be required to develop an additional test of their own, which would result in an unnecessary burden on the students.

Further inquiry should be undertaken as to the JCNDE’s rationale for its action. Are there other ways to address any weaknesses of the current approach, absent wholesale abandonment of a system that has worked well for so long? Are the perceived problems with the current system as pervasive as the JCNDE believes?

Dentistry has always met challenges with positive action and instituted responses methodically. The new approach, as recommended by the JCNDE, is a tremendous departure from that standard – it is tantamount to a “giving up” approach to issues that can otherwise be successfully addressed. The public and other relevant audiences will undoubtedly perceive it as such.

Resolution​
Resolved, that the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) be requested to reconsider pass/fail on National Board Exams; reinstate the dental student rankings and standard scores; and report results to both students and dental schools retain its quantitative nature.​

BOARD COMMENT: The Board appreciates the challenges facing advanced education programs in evaluating applicants and acknowledges the beliefs of educators involved in advanced education that the National Board scores have provided an effective evaluation tool for students, dentals schools and the dental profession. While understanding the Joint Commission’s rationale for its recent policy decisions, the Board is concerned that no clear alternative assessment tools are currently available to fill the void. The Board believes that more time is needed to allow stakeholders to dialogue about alternative information and assessment models that would meet the needs of advanced education programs and others who have traditionally used National Board results for a variety of purposes beyond licensure. The Board, therefore, recommends the following substitute resolution:

Resolved, that the ADA House of Delegates urge the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) to retain its current system of score reporting and delay implementation of its policy of reporting only pass/fail results from the National Board Exams until such time as alternative assessment models are available to education programs and other stakeholders.​

BOARD RECOMMENDATION: Vote Yes on the Substitute.

BOARD VOTE: UNANIMOUS.
 
Life just keeps getting more interesting~:cool:

Cold Front said:
Oct.2008-H Page 4072​

Resolution 70
DENTAL EDUCATION AND
RELATED MATTERS​


JOINT COMMISSION ON NATIONAL DENTAL EXAMINATIONS (1 JCNDE)
USE OF PASS/FAIL ON NATIONAL BOARD EXAMS​

The following resolution was submitted by the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (AAOMP), the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) and the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) and transmitted on October 2, 2008, by Ms. Carla Qualls, director of leadership entities, AAO.

Background: The JCNDE recently decided to report only pass/fail on the National Board Exams and to eliminate the ranking of all dental students. This is a substantial departure from past approaches, and eliminates a valuable evaluation tool for dental students, dental schools and the dental profession.

The current system of scoring students is a critical aspect of promoting excellence in both predoctoral and advanced program education. It encourages both individuals (students) and educational institutions to promote higher levels of learning and performance. The elimination of traditional grading systems undermines a principal aspect of the current measurement approach: competition. Without competition, it is obvious that the motivation to be better on the part of all communities will be lessened, if not nonexistent. The end result of this new approach will inevitably be a lower standard of dental care for the public.

In addition, these scores are used by the General Practice Residency and Specialty Programs to evaluate applicants for advanced dental education opportunities. A pass/fail score would mean that these programs may be required to develop an additional test of their own, which would result in an unnecessary burden on the students.

Further inquiry should be undertaken as to the JCNDE’s rationale for its action. Are there other ways to address any weaknesses of the current approach, absent wholesale abandonment of a system that has worked well for so long? Are the perceived problems with the current system as pervasive as the JCNDE believes?

Dentistry has always met challenges with positive action and instituted responses methodically. The new approach, as recommended by the JCNDE, is a tremendous departure from that standard – it is tantamount to a “giving up” approach to issues that can otherwise be successfully addressed. The public and other relevant audiences will undoubtedly perceive it as such.

Resolution
Resolved, that the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) be requested to reconsider pass/fail on National Board Exams; reinstate the dental student rankings and standard scores; and report results to both students and dental schools retain its quantitative nature.​

BOARD COMMENT: The Board appreciates the challenges facing advanced education programs in evaluating applicants and acknowledges the beliefs of educators involved in advanced education that the National Board scores have provided an effective evaluation tool for students, dentals schools and the dental profession. While understanding the Joint Commission’s rationale for its recent policy decisions, the Board is concerned that no clear alternative assessment tools are currently available to fill the void. The Board believes that more time is needed to allow stakeholders to dialogue about alternative information and assessment models that would meet the needs of advanced education programs and others who have traditionally used National Board results for a variety of purposes beyond licensure. The Board, therefore, recommends the following substitute resolution:

Resolved, that the ADA House of Delegates urge the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) to retain its current system of score reporting and delay implementation of its policy of reporting only pass/fail results from the National Board Exams until such time as alternative assessment models are available to education programs and other stakeholders.​

BOARD RECOMMENDATION: Vote Yes on the Substitute.

BOARD VOTE: UNANIMOUS.
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