Incorporation of podcast as an adjunctive study material for national board examination: A preliminary study

Background: In 2020, higher education embraced alternative content delivery to provide academic instruction to accommodate for the pandemic. Although this adaptation of content delivery was temporary for some, the uses of YouTube videos, Podcast, and distance learning have been an increasingly desired format for students. The transition of the traditionally two-part National Board Dental Examination into a one-part, integrating biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences initiated in 2018 started with limited study resources. This study hypothesized that podcast would be a useful format for Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) review. The study's purpose was to evaluate the students’ perspective of podcasts as INBDE supplemental review resource. Methods: Seven episodes, 10–15 min long, case-based clinical scenario podcasts were recorded. Students and faculty reviewed academic content and accuracy. Episodes were recorded and published on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts under the channel “Dental Study Bites” as INBDE review material. Listeners were invited to complete a 16-item Google form questionnaire. Respondents were deidentified, and descriptive analysis was performed. Results: Podcast episodes were played 256 times with 31 survey respondents. Listeners on Spotify represented seven different countries with 61.3% females and 38.4% males. Ninety percent of respondents found cases useful and helpful. Eighty-six percent found cases promoted learning and 90% believed podcasts could be useful in the dental curriculum. Conclusion: The Dental Study Bites Podcast served as a helpful and useful method to deliver instructional content. The use of podcast offers flexible means for students to review instructional materials and can be created inexpensively.