Correlation of dental medicine students’ performance in preclinical and clinical courses

The main aim of this study was to investigate the correlations of final grades among dental students across three
academic courses, examining both their pre-clinical and clinical performances, and to determine the relationships
between their achievements in pre-clinical practical courses and clinical courses. The final preclinical and clinical
grades for 34 graduates from the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Goce Delcev University in Stip, North Macedonia,
who studied dental medicine between 2020 and 2022 (appropriate generations), were retrieved. The study
examined three courses: one preclinical course, Preclinical Periodontology, and two clinical courses,
Periodontology 1 and Periodontology 2. Final grades for these courses were sourced from the students’
information system (e-index) and evaluated anonymously. Correlation analysis methods were applied to discover
the relationship between two variables/datasets, as well as the strength of that relationship. The data analysis
indicates a positive relationship between the grades of students in preclinical courses and their final grades in
clinical courses. In particular, it has been found that students with higher final grades in preclinical courses often
achieve higher final grades in clinical courses as well. However, it is important to note that many students
experience discrepancies in their final grades between the two clinical courses. Our research suggests a potential
positive correlation between preclinical and clinical performance, indicating that clinical outcomes may be
forecasted based on preclinical final grades. Additionally, students who demonstrate proficiency in the necessary
clinical procedures during the ninth semester tend to maintain that proficiency in the tenth semester. However, it
is important to acknowledge that the specific factors influencing this relationship were not explored in this study
and warrant further investigation.