Clinic simulation and preclinical performance

The physical environment in which dental students learn preclinical skills has been a focus of attention recently; the effect of this variable on practical examination performance by first‐year students in a preclinical dentistry course was examined. In a controlled, two‐part experiment, students doing preclinical work in the clinic did not perform significantly better on practical examinations than students working in a typical laboratory environment. Other factors such as enthusiasm, motivation, satisfaction, operator comfort, long‐term productivity, and exposure to the clinical environment prior to patient treatment are important dimensions of the preclinical experience; the effect of the environment on these factors should be examined.