Iowa students will take dental exam despite questions
Posted: Monday, February 04, 2008
DES MOINES (AP) -- Iowa dental students will begin taking a licensing exam this year that some states claim isn't tough enough to weed out incompetent dentists.
The University of Iowa, the state's only dental school, will offer its students the Western Regional Examining Board test despite concerns that the exam requires a score of only 55 percent on some sections and doesn't delve into some areas, such as teeth crowning and diagnosing patients.
Some states have dropped the WREB test or required higher passing standards.
"If they can't pass a section of the exam, what are they going to do when they get in the office?" said Betty Wright, executive director for the Kansas Board of Dentistry. "It's a concern. Why are they taking the WREB? Do they think it's an easier exam?"
Kansas requires students to score at least 75 percent on all sections to become a licensed dentist. In Wisconsin, the state only accepts the WREB test if students also complete portions of a separate test that focus on diagnosing patients and repairing or replacing damaged teeth.
Illinois has dropped use of the WREB test, opting for a rival exam that tests for crowning and requires a higher passing mark on all sections. The state's dental board made the decision in 2006 after ruling the WREB had not met several criteria for testing, said Dr. Barbara Mousel, a member of the Illinois Board of Dentistry.
"We're seeing changes," Mousel said. "Many states are just getting to that now."
At Iowa, officials said they switched to the WREB to accommodate a growing number of students who prefer the test and travel to other states where it is administered. Iowa previously offered only the American Dental Examination, which requires scores of at least 75 percent on all sections.
Dr. Michael Kanellis, Iowa's assistant dean for patient care, said he's not concerned by the different testing standards. He said the best indicator of competency is how a student fares over years of study, not on a few testing days.
"I don't get hung up on what is or isn't tested," Kanellis said. "(Patients) should be more concerned with the quality of the school" their dentists attended than their test results.
About 75 Iowa students are scheduled to take the exam in April. Iowa's move follows a trend of more students taking the WREB exam, with the number doubling since 2000. In 2007, 2,400 students took the test, said Dr. Charles Broadbent, WREB's director of exam development.
Broadbent defended his test's standards and claimed more students are taking the exam because they prefer how it is administered -- not how it is graded.
"It's not ease of the exam that's doing it," he says, noting that WREB's passing rates are about 94 percent, about the same rate for the American Dental Examination.
However, officials from the American Dental Examination said more than a dozen states are taking a stand against the WREB test.
Wisconsin added requirements to the WREB exam because its state dental board concluded other tests were more rigorous, said Dr. William Lobb, dean of Marquette University's dentistry school.
He acknowledged he is not thoroughly familiar with WREB, but "I'd be concerned if somebody's passing on a 55 percent rate."
Despite the scrutiny, the WREB test will be administered in 23 states this year and its scores will be accepted in even more, officials said.
Broadbent noted that although students may score as low as 55 percent in certain sections, they must still score an overall 75 percent to pass.
Jack Dillenberg, dean of Arizona State University's dental school, said he's not surprised at the WREB test's increasing popularity. He said his school, among the newest in the nation, uses the exam and has not encountered any problems.
"Those who have it, like it," he said.
Dillenberg also downplayed the importance of the test scores because students' clinical skills are already tested through years of study.
"There's lots of ways to evaluate the competency of a graduate," he said.
Dr. Mark Feldman, president of the American Dental Association, said his group does not endorse any particular exam but would prefer one national test for the sake of consistency. Still, he sees no problem with WREB's test content.
The University of Iowa, the state's only dental school, will offer its students the Western Regional Examining Board test despite concerns that the exam requires a score of only 55 percent on some sections and doesn't delve into some areas, such as teeth crowning and diagnosing patients.
Some states have dropped the WREB test or required higher passing standards.
"If they can't pass a section of the exam, what are they going to do when they get in the office?" said Betty Wright, executive director for the Kansas Board of Dentistry. "It's a concern. Why are they taking the WREB? Do they think it's an easier exam?"
Kansas requires students to score at least 75 percent on all sections to become a licensed dentist. In Wisconsin, the state only accepts the WREB test if students also complete portions of a separate test that focus on diagnosing patients and repairing or replacing damaged teeth.
Illinois has dropped use of the WREB test, opting for a rival exam that tests for crowning and requires a higher passing mark on all sections. The state's dental board made the decision in 2006 after ruling the WREB had not met several criteria for testing, said Dr. Barbara Mousel, a member of the Illinois Board of Dentistry.
"We're seeing changes," Mousel said. "Many states are just getting to that now."
At Iowa, officials said they switched to the WREB to accommodate a growing number of students who prefer the test and travel to other states where it is administered. Iowa previously offered only the American Dental Examination, which requires scores of at least 75 percent on all sections.
Dr. Michael Kanellis, Iowa's assistant dean for patient care, said he's not concerned by the different testing standards. He said the best indicator of competency is how a student fares over years of study, not on a few testing days.
"I don't get hung up on what is or isn't tested," Kanellis said. "(Patients) should be more concerned with the quality of the school" their dentists attended than their test results.
About 75 Iowa students are scheduled to take the exam in April. Iowa's move follows a trend of more students taking the WREB exam, with the number doubling since 2000. In 2007, 2,400 students took the test, said Dr. Charles Broadbent, WREB's director of exam development.
Broadbent defended his test's standards and claimed more students are taking the exam because they prefer how it is administered -- not how it is graded.
"It's not ease of the exam that's doing it," he says, noting that WREB's passing rates are about 94 percent, about the same rate for the American Dental Examination.
However, officials from the American Dental Examination said more than a dozen states are taking a stand against the WREB test.
Wisconsin added requirements to the WREB exam because its state dental board concluded other tests were more rigorous, said Dr. William Lobb, dean of Marquette University's dentistry school.
He acknowledged he is not thoroughly familiar with WREB, but "I'd be concerned if somebody's passing on a 55 percent rate."
Despite the scrutiny, the WREB test will be administered in 23 states this year and its scores will be accepted in even more, officials said.
Broadbent noted that although students may score as low as 55 percent in certain sections, they must still score an overall 75 percent to pass.
Jack Dillenberg, dean of Arizona State University's dental school, said he's not surprised at the WREB test's increasing popularity. He said his school, among the newest in the nation, uses the exam and has not encountered any problems.
"Those who have it, like it," he said.
Dillenberg also downplayed the importance of the test scores because students' clinical skills are already tested through years of study.
"There's lots of ways to evaluate the competency of a graduate," he said.
Dr. Mark Feldman, president of the American Dental Association, said his group does not endorse any particular exam but would prefer one national test for the sake of consistency. Still, he sees no problem with WREB's test content.
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