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.