Evaluate the Effects of Curriculum Changes on Student Perceptions, Experience and Performance

Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of changes made to the Predoctoral Orthodontic Curriculum on student perceptions, experiences and performance.
Methods: Quantative assessment of senior year competency scores were compared with the previous class scores. The students who experienced the new curriculum were given a survey to complete to determine their perceptions regarding their orthodontic knowledge and experience.
Results: The mean scores for the class with the new curriculum increased to 84.36±5 from 83±6. The mean scores of the survey results with respect to the changes in the clinical orthodontic curriculum ranged from 2.17 to 2.36 demonstrating a positive feedback especially to the increase in clinical exposure.
Conclusions: Student competency results improved with the increase in orthodontic clinical experience. Increasing patient exposure had an overall positive effect on the student's perceptions regarding their knowledge in orthodontics.