Do admission requirements to dentistry predicts the academic performance over the first year?

Abstract

Introduction: Having clear which are de predictors of academic development, the selection of students that enter University, can be improved, assuring that they are in possession of the competitions that guaranty a good performance. Objectives: To determine the predictive capacity of the entering requirements and the PSU process, for the academic performance of the students of first year in the Odontology career. Material and Method: Descriptive observational study, of transversal cut with students that went through first year between 2004 and 2008. The entering schedules of de Unity of Admission and Academic Student Register (UDARAE), were checked, obtaining information about the gender, entering year, average notes of senior year (NEM), selection score (PSU-SEL) and the score of the language (PSU-L), math (PSU-M) and science (PSU-C) exams. For the academic performance the schedule of marks of the Register and Faculty Control Office was checked. Results: The bigger percentage of contribution to the explanation of the academic performance corresponded to the NEM average, with 10%, then the PSU-C with 5.6%. The PSU-L and PSU-M, had a 0% of contribution and the PSUSEL a 23.4%. Conclusions: The most strong variable that can be associated with the academic performance is the NEM average, followed by the PSU-C. The PSU-L and the PSU-M presented a void predictive capacity. The PSU process presented a limited predictive capacity.

Keywords

• PSU process
• Predictive capacity
• Academic performance