Journal of dental education
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Dental schools have created summer enrichment and recruitment programs to increase enrollment of underrepresented and disadvantaged students. Enrichment programs strengthen students' academic skills in the areas of basic medical sciences, communications, test taking, and other learning strategies. The purpose of this study was to identify program characteristics of summer enrichment and recruitment programs and to determine which characteristics predicted participant enrollment in dental school. ⋯ The directors of six programs who place more than 60 percent of their students in dental school were interviewed. They reported that mentorship, institutional support, program structure, and admission policies were key factors contributing to success. It is concluded that recruitment and enrichment programs are a viable option to increase URM dental school enrollment.
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The number of vacant budgeted full-time faculty positions has changed little over the last three years, standing in 2002-03 at 280. The number of part-time vacancies, though, has continued to decline to twenty-seven. The average number of vacancies per school was 5.7, down from 6.4 of the past several years. ⋯ The total number of faculty reported in 2002-03 was 357 more than reported in 2001-02. Rather than a perceived pending shortage of faculty, it may be more of an endemic number of vacancies due to the amount of time needed to fill a position. While there is no indication expressed in the survey that current vacancies are adversely affecting the quality of dental education, foresight, planning, and necessary steps need to continue to ensure the preparation and continuity of a dental workforce sufficient in size and expertise to meet the teaching, research, patient care, and administrative needs of the dental education community.