Career development subsequent to general practice training.

Career development after graduation from the advanced program in general dentistry at the Eastman Dental Center was studied by means of a mail survey. The majority of those who graduated (63.2 percent) over a ten-year period (1971-1981) practiced general dentistry. Fewer graduates specialized in recent years. Performance criteria in dental school or in the advanced training program could not predict later specialization. Dental school performance also proved to be of minimal value in determining who pursued an advanced degree or became involved in teaching. However, those exhibiting better performance in the advanced program in general dentistry often pursued advanced degrees, research, or teaching. Approximately 55 percent of those who graduated from this advanced program during the ten-year period were involved in full- or part-time teaching, and 35 percent were involved in research.

Evaluation of common predictors for selection of postdoctoral dental students.

Certain predictors are traditionally presumed to be reliable measures for selection of candidates for general dentistry training programs. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative value of academic standing, letters of recommendation, and personal interview impressions by comparing them with performance during training. Predictor data were collected from the application files of all postdoctoral trainees in the advanced general dentistry training program at the Eastern Dental Center of the past ten years (N = 154). However, only 102 postdoctoral students had information available for all three predictor criteria. Performance was rated subjectively on completion of training by two faculty members on a six-point rating scale. The highest correlations between predictors and performance were to academic achievement (r = 0.347). Weaker, though statistically significant, correlations were found for the personal interview (r = 0.206) and letters of recommendation (r = 0.192). Although these predictor criteria will continue to be used in the selection of candidates, administrators and selection committees must be aware of the limitations of such criteria in predicting performance.

A predental career program in a postgraduate institution.

Providing potential dental school applicants with a realistic exposure to the practice of dentistry, in cooperation with undergraduate career counseling offices, is one way to ensure adequate recruitment of qualified and motivated individuals. The Department of General Dentistry at the Eastman Dental Center has operated such a structured volunteer program for interested high school and college students for the past three years. Twenty-six students have completed the program, and their responses have been extremely positive. In almost all cases, the students have been valuable and popular adjuncts in the operation of the postgraduate training program. The experience gives the students insight into the profession of dentistry and provides them with a rational basis for making career decisions.