Study on the Development of Training Programs for Standardized Patients of the Practical Examination Portion of the National Dental Licensing Examination

Abstract

Purpose: The practical examination portion of the National Dental Licensing Examination (NDLE) is slated to be administered in the latter half of 2021 in the form of a clinical performance examination that comprehensively evaluates the patient-dentist interaction using standardized patients (SPs). The SPs should be equipped with the basic qualities and capacity as evaluators for a fair and reliable administration of the test.

Materials and Methods: In this study, we analyzed the existing training materials for SPs who participated in domestic and overseas practical tests for the development of training materials for SPs through seminars and surveys of 11 dentistry schools and colleges.

Result: First, SPs should be selected according to the basic quality criteria and capacity, which they must possess, and the preliminary basic training about the details which they must have knowledge of and be provided through videorecorded cases before the implementation of the preliminary field training. Second, the roles of SPs and the calibration process of the evaluation result forms are needed when conducting the preliminary field training for SPs. After watching video-recorded scenario cases, the SPs participate in discussions about the watched videos before proceeding to calibration practices of evaluation result forms. Third, because the Type A questionnaire of the practical examination of the NDLE is dependent on the SPs’ capacity and training, the fairness of the practical test is largely dependent on the SPs. Therefore, practicing the roles as evaluators and evaluation training should be provided using practical test items that can improve the reliability of the test and show a high level of reproducibility about the same case.

Conclusion: The findings of this study will be utilized for the development of training materials for SPs, so they can participate in the administration of a fair and reliable practical examination of the NDLE.