1.1Studentselectionandtheinfluenceof theirclinicaland academic environment on learning

Student selection and recruitment play a vital role in the success-ful outcome of dental education. To identify key issues and practices in selection and recruitment, the group assessed cur-rent processes, philosophies and practices from a range of different educational systems, although it was not possible to gather data from all countries or continents within the timeframe provided. Furthermore, the group explored the effect of the educational learning environment on the successful outcome of teaching dental students. It is clear that a wide variety of practices and philosophies exist and are used in different parts of the world. Measuring the success of any given process used for student selection remains a challenge. In some parts of the world, certain practices have become an integral part of the tertiary educational system, and have been applied in a similar way by many or all of the dental schools in that country. In othe