ANALYSIS OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION APPLICANTS AT I. HORBACHEVSKY TERNOPIL NATIONAL MEDICAL UNIVERSITY IN MICROBIOLOGY, VIROLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE “STEP-1. DENTISTRY” EXAMINATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/m.2414-5998.2026.1.16033Keywords:
microbiology, virology, and immunology; Step 1. Dentistry; higher education students; professional competencies.Abstract
Abstract. The relevance of this study is determined by the need to improve the quality of training of future dental practitioners based on an in-depth analysis of assessment results reflecting the level of mastery of basic theoretical disciplines as a component of clinical competency formation. The Licensed Integrated Examination Krok 1. Dentistry represents an important element of standardized knowledge monitoring among higher education students. Of particular significance within its structure is the subtest in Microbiology, Virology, and Immunology, which reflects students’ readiness to understand the etiology, pathogenesis, and immune mechanisms underlying infectious diseases of direct clinical relevance to dental practice. The aim of the study was to analyze the results of the subtest in Microbiology, Virology, and Immunology obtained by third-year dental students of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University and to compare them with the overall structure of the “Step 1. Dentistry” examination results in order to identify strengths in theoretical training. The analysis included mean subtest scores, the proportion of students achieving maximum results, and the proportion of those who failed to reach the threshold level. It was established that the subtest in Microbiology, Virology, and Immunology demonstrated the highest mean percentage of correct answers (90,20%) and the largest proportion of students who achieved the maximum score (44,7%). The low proportion of students with results below 64% (4,0%) confirms the stability of positive learning outcomes and the formation of essential theoretical knowledge in the majority of students. The obtained results indicate the high effectiveness of the educational process in Microbiology, Virology, and Immunology, its practical orientation, and the compliance of the educational components with contemporary requirements for the training of dental practitioners.
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