ABSTRACT
Introduction: Dentistry is considered to be a high-stress profession. The educational period in dental schools is viewed as a highly demanding and stressful learning environment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the academic performance of undergraduate dental students of 2010, 2011, and 2012 batches admitted at Kerala University of Health Sciences. Materials and Methods: The present retrospective study evaluated the performance of dental students of 2010, 2011, and 2012 batches from their first Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) to the completion of final BDS Part 2 examination. The study was carried out from August 2010 to March 2017. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 19 software. Chi-square test was used for analyzing the significance of difference between proportions. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: The results of first BDS students of 2010, 2011, and 2012 batches were 35.8%, 49.9%, and 55.5%, respectively. Whereas, the results of the final BDS Part 2 students of 2010, 2011, and 2012 batches were 92.6%, 88.4%, and 92.5%, respectively. Conclusion: The present study shows a decline in performance of dental students at the time of inception of the university, and as time progressed, the results of the students showed significant improvement.