State Board Examinations Research Articles

NEET for medics: a guarantee of quality? An exploratory study

PurposeThe government has taken an initiative to improve the MBBS admission process in the country to eradicate the academic dishonesty and encourage the deserving candidates for MBBS enrolment. The Supreme Court has paved the way to hold the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), a common entrance test for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses, from the 2016-17 academic year onwards. This paper aims to focus on the contention raised by various stakeholders associated with it and examines the pass percentage of plus two State Board examinations in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and admission details for 2016 and 2017.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers adopted exploratory research. The researchers studied the medical admission process at national and global levels. They collected data of MBBS admission, NEET, State Board and CBSE plus two results and information from newspapers, website and magazine articles. Many experts published articles in newspapers. No study analysed data and made an exhaustive exploratory study. This motivates the researcher to do the same. Simple percentage, percentage change, correlation analysis and the sign test are used to determine whether the State Board or CBSE students get benefitted out of NEET to become medical professionals.FindingsThere is no significant relationship between MBBS enrolment of students (both State Board and CBSE students) before and after the NEET was introduced. From correlation analysis, it is inferred that the pass percentage of students who studied under State Board and MBBS enrolment were lesser in 2017 than 2016. It is also inferred that many districts students’ enrolment in MBBS course have increased from 2016 to 2017. The researchers concluded that because of NEET, CBSE students got more enrolment in MBBS course in 2017 compared with State Board students in 2016.Research limitations/implicationsThe researchers found that the students with State Board examinations enrolled in lesser number for MBBS course than CBSE students in Tamil Nadu. There is a scope for improvement in designing and implementing NEET with the deliberations among different stakeholders involved with the medical education system, which will help in reducing the rampant corruption and, most importantly, pave the way for a selection based on merit in medical education. Possibly, this will also work as a safeguard to the sanctity of the medical profession in India and at the global level.Originality/valueThe researcher collected data from newspapers, websites and journals. Many experts discuss about, for and against NEET. No one analysed the data. This is a unique article that has more statistical analysis and meaningful interpretations from analysis. This paper will be useful to the government at national and global levels to frame medical admission procedure and policies.

The predictive value of criteria for student admission to dentistry

In this study, we investigated the value of an individual selection procedure to choose dental students for the Faculty of Dental Medicine at the University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany. The selection procedure was divided into the following four steps: step one consisted of a formal application; step two consisted of a practical test; step three consisted of a personal interview; and step four consisted of a final selection by an independent committee. Data from 196 students were collected from the university files. The following data were compared: the grades of the final secondary school certificate (Abiturnoten) were compared with the grades of the Natural Science Examination (naturwissenschaftliche Vorprüfung), first Dental Examination (zahnärztliche Vorprüfung) and State Board Examination (Staatsexamen); specialisation or non-specialisation at secondary school in natural sciences was compared with the grades of the Natural Science Examination and the first Dental Examination; the results of the practical test of the selection procedure were compared with the grades of the practical examination in the first Dental Examination; the interview recommendations to the committee were compared with the grades of the first Dental Examination and the State Board Examination. The results showed a positive correlation (R = 0.34; P < 0.001) between the secondary school grades and the Natural Science Examination grades. The correlation was weaker between the grades of the first Dental Examination and State Board Examination. No correlation was found between the specialisation during secondary school in biology, chemistry and physics or non-specialisation, and the results of the Natural Science Examination and first Dental Examination. A weak correlation was found between the grades the candidates obtained in the practical test of the selection procedure and the first Dental Examination.

Rural Students and Crocodile Tears - A Study on Common Entrance Examination in Indian Higher Education

The judgment delivered by Honourable Supreme Court of India on 27.2.2006 by quashing the enactment of “Abolishment of CET (Common Entrance Test) for State Board Examinations” came as a big jolt to one and all that are interested in smooth conduct of professional colleges. This judgment was not unexpected. This paved way for a section of the students to get priority over others and created a sense of depression on the standards of profession admission in Engineering colleges. This article drives a peg on certain points of this procedure.

Graduates of British and Irish medical schools taking state board examinations in America.

Graduates of British and Irish medical schools taking state board examinations in America.

The Impact of Title VII on General and Pediatric Dental Education and Training

The authors describe the impact of the Title VII, Section 747 Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (Title VII) grant program on the development, growth, and expansion of general and pediatric dentistry residency programs in the United States. They first briefly review the legislative history of the Title VII program as it pertains to dental education, followed by a historical overview of dental education in the United States, including a description of the differences between dental and medical education and the routes to professional practice. The authors then present an extensive assessment of the role of the Title VII grant program in building general and pediatric dental training capacity, diversifying the dental workforce, providing outreach and service to underserved and vulnerable populations, stimulating innovations in dental education, and engaging collaborative and interdisciplinary training with medicine. Finally, the authors call for broadening the scope of the Title VII program to allow for predoctoral training (dental student education) and faculty development in general and pediatric dentistry. In doing so, the Title VII program can more effectively address current and future challenges in dental education, dentist workforce, and disparities in oral health and access to care.This article is part of a theme issue of Academic Medicine on the Title VII health professions training programs.

Comparison of Written Examinations Required for Dental Licensure in Japan and the United States: Contents, Cognitive Levels, and Cultural Implications

The goal of this article is to describe differences between the written examinations required for dental licensure in Japan and in the United States. Candidate guides, old exams, and other published data pertaining to the Japan National Examination for Dentists (NED) and the U.S. National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) were used. Dental education in Japan consists of a six-year program following high school graduation. The U.S. counterpart is usually a four-year program following a bachelor's degree. The NED, which is made up of 330 questions, is a single, all-important gatekeeper test that immediately grants licensure to practice dentistry throughout Japan. The NED contains no evaluation of technical skills; it is purely a written exam. By contrast, in the United States, the NBDE Parts I and II, which consist of 900 questions, are only components of a three-step licensure process. An additional state or regional board examination on technical skills is required to obtain licensure to practice. There are 400 basic science questions on the NBDE Part I, while the NED has thirty. In terms of cognitive level, questions on the NED place more emphasis on recall, while those on the NBDE Part II are more focused on problem solving. The outcomes of this comparison provide dental educators with comparisons of the licensure examination process for Japanese and U.S. dentists.

All Roads Lead To…

Shortly after beginning my residency program in internal medicine, I was required to take the Minnesota State Board examination. The anticipation of an uncomplicated 90-mile drive north to St. Paul was replaced by uneasiness as I began to fret at the appearance of highway signs reporting progressively shrinking distances to the “Twin Cities”—and no mention of St. Paul. As a newcomer to the area, I was oblivious to the reference by locals of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan region as the “Twin Cities.” This flaw in signage, which surely cannot be unique to this region, derives from the creation of road signs from the perspective of the local inhabitants, who are understandably not fully aware of the need for complete and comprehensive directions for use by persons unfamiliar with the area. I cannot recall ever seeing a Minnesota state map with “Twin Cities” on it. There may not have been a need for unambiguous directions during the period of the Roman Empire when, according to the proverb, “all roads lead to Rome.” As well they should, since Rome was the center of civilization at that time and therefore a desirable destination.

Comparison of Performance of Students in an Accelerated Baccalaureate Nursing Program for College Graduates and a Traditional Nursing Program

Currently, many schools of nursing across the country have implemented various models of post-baccalaureate nursing education. There has been minimal published evaluation of this type of nursing education. In September 1989, a large urban university in the Midwest instituted a baccalaureate program for non-nurse college graduates. After completion of prerequisite science and other liberal arts courses, students complete the nursing program within a 13-month period. This study compared the performance, measured by Schwirian's 6-Dimension Scale (1978), and academic achievement of students in the accelerated nursing program for students with college degrees (N = 27) and students in a traditional nursing program (N = 29). Data also were collected on selected demographic variables. Findings indicated significant differences between the groups. Students in the accelerated group scored higher on nursing performance and passing rate on state board examination. The traditional group reported significantly more hours worked and less hours studied. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of age, gender, and grade point average.

CGFNS.

The CGFNS examination is held twice yearly in early April and October, and results are notified to candidates eight to ten weeks later. Apart from Calfornia, Florida and Arkansas, the CGFNS certificate is an entrance requirement for all US state board examinations. In order to obtain an H-1(occupational preference) visa and paper work permit the nurse must.

The impact of microcomputers on program excellence.

The following criteria were used to document program enhancement after the implementation of a microcomputer laboratory: faculty and student attitudes toward computer-assisted instruction (CAI); student anxiety scores toward state board examinations; increased visibility of the college (number of authored CAI modules, CAI grants, computer committee memberships, faculty attendance at computer courses); and relationship involving learning style, attitude, and student learning. Ninety-two of 112 students and 39 of 55 faculty responded to the request for data collection. Postimplementation, both faculty and students showed mean increases in their attitude toward CAI, although not statistically significant. Senior students had significantly decreased anxiety scores toward the state RN licensure examination after using Mosby's NURSESTAR for review (p less than .001). Increased visibility was also documented, but data collection continues regarding the relationship involving learning style, attitude, and student learning. It was concluded that the innovation of computers in an established nursing curriculum served to enhance program excellence.

Selected pre-admission and academic correlates of success on State Board Examinations.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine student performance prior to and following admission to a baccalaureate nursing program in comparison with their performance on the individual sections of the State Board Test Pool Examinations (SBE) and an overall assessment of Pass-Fail on the SBE. The following hypothesis guided the study: It is possible to determine which variables are most influential in predicting success on SBEs. Additional research questions addressed the relationship between theoretical and clinical nursing courses and SBE performance, the pertinence of various demographic variables, and differences between students passing and failing SBEs. The sample was composed of the 139 Class of 1980 graduates for whom SBE results were available. Data pertaining to individual course grades, grade point averages, credit hours earned prior to admission, school attended prior to admission, previous academic degree, race, and all SBE scores were obtained. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed the junior or senior year cumulative clinical nursing theory GPA had the highest weighting in each section of the SBE and for Pass-Fail SBE. Cumulative clinical nursing theory GPAs were more highly correlated with SBE performance than were cumulative clinical nursing practicum GPAs. The pre-admission liberal arts and cumulative GPAs were also highly correlated with performance. In addition, the number of credit hours earned prior to admission, school attended, and race of the student were found to significant factors. Significant differences between students passing and failing SBEs were found in regard to their level of performance in course work.

Student endodontic access cavity preparation: Performance versus perception

A voluntary critique of endodontic access preparations was offered to all graduating seniors upon completion of the terminal endodontic clinical post-test. The purpose of the critique session was to evaluate a student's self-assessment skills and to determine whether any benefits occur from the review. The students were not informed of this purpose. The students that participated scored higher on the state board examination than those that did not participate in the self-critique session.

Passing the state board examination.

Passing the state board examination.

Predictors of success in nursing school and on State Board Examinations in a predominantly black baccalaureate nursing program.

High school grade point averages, Scholastic Aptitude Test verbal and quantitative scores, and National League for Nursing Pre-Nursing Examination scores were obtained for 456 black students enrolled in a private baccalaureate school of nursing. Discriminant analysis showed that these measures significantly differentiated between dropouts and graduates. For 181 graduates, these same predictors plus college grade point average also significantly differentiated between passers and failers on the State Board Examination.

Doctor of Pharmacy

To the Editor.— Dr John Biles' COMMENTARY makes several points that require further elaboration to define more accurately the doctor of pharmacy degree and refute the aura of elitism that was created by him around this degree. First of all, the first five years of study in both the baccalaureate and PharmD curricula are almost identical, with the student's choice in elective classes accounting for the only differences. The sixth year of study in the PharmD program offers the student a chance to pursue subjects of particular clinical interest. Second, the implication was made that only PharmD students are required to pass state board examinations to gain licensure to practice. All pharmacy students, irrespective of degree, must successfully complete identical state board examinations after completing the required course work and internship period before licensure is granted. Third, Dr Biles lists 12 supportive services to physicians, nurses, dentists, and patients that

Selected correlates of job performance of community health nurses.

Using a study sample of 32 community health nurses employed by the Visiting Nurse Association of Hartford, Inc., the relationship of selected attribute and environmental variables was studied, and a quantitative rating of the nurses' job performances was developed. A nonhierarchical stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between job performance and the independent variables: age, education, work experience, five state board licensure examinations, job satisfaction, and leadership behavior. A principal component analysis with Varimax rotation was used to reduce the independent variables to three components: state board examinations, biographical information, and attitude toward the work environment. The raw score model produced a larger multiple correlation (p < .05) than the reduced rank model in the regression analyses. This result was due, in part, to the small sample size in relation to the number of independent variables for the raw score model. However, the rank reduction of the raw scores captured only 38 percent of the variation among the items.

Visiting faculty as clinical evaluators for mock board examinations

Applicants may fail state board examinations because of lack of practice under similar test conditions. Mock state board examinations employing visiting faculty as evaluators help students experience the stress of a real state board exam. Students become accustomed to strangers evaluating their work and receive unbiased evaluations. Other advantages and problems are discussed.

Blocked- and Integrated-Content Baccalaureate Nursing Programs

This study evaluated the differences between blocked- and integrated-content baccalaureate nursing programs related to faculty satisfaction, senior students' critical thinking ability, and students' state board examination performance. Faculty satisfaction had 10 factor scores--7 directly teacher-related factors and 3 indirectly teacher-related factors. Analysis of 85 faculty members by a one-dimensional, nested multivariate analysis of variance design revealed that faculty satisfaction was not a function of the type of content program. Analysis of 104 senior students by a one-dimensional, nested univariate analysis of variance design revealed no significant difference in critical-thinking ability between the two types of content programs. When 230 students' SBE scores were subjected to a one-dimensional, nested multivariate analysis of variance, blocked-content program students scored significantly higher than integrated-content program students. Recommendations for further study are made.

State Board Examinations

State Board Examinations

Medical education

With<i>Bakke</i>behind us, other major trends in medical education are on the agenda for critical appraisal. An inventory of the factors that influence teaching programs naturally includes diagnostic innovations, new drugs, budget constraints, alumni pressures, and community needs, as well as scores of other factors. Three developments that have begun to exert influence in the past few years are the Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX), the teaching of medical ethics, and federal rules concerning handicapped faculty and students. The first and second are positive and healthy programs that can only benefit our patients in years to come, but the third, which is forcing the admission or employment of handicapped persons, may be an unwise intrusion into academic policymaking by the federal government. <h3>Licensure Examinations</h3> A decade ago a license to practice medicine was obtained by passing a state board examination or, in some states, an examination administered by the National