Journal of dental education
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Revitalization of dental education in the United States is an imperative, but it depends mainly on the willingness of dental school faculty to make great changes. My remarks address a system of education of dental professionals in relation to other health professionals whose vision seems at times to have surpassed ours. I advocate for a revitalization of our profession in order to stand at the fore when it comes to ensuring the health and well-being of the public. ⋯ We must keep pace with new knowledge and methods of teaching-unless, of course, we choose to subscribe to the facetious message of W. Edwards Deming, who is credited with rebuilding the Japanese economy after World War II: "It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."
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Currently in North America, there is an active dialogue going on about the state of predoctoral dental education and the need for curriculum change, innovation, and the adoption of contemporary, competency-based educational models. At the institutional level, curriculum committees struggle with requests from faculty to add new content to an overburdened didactic and clinic schedule. ⋯ The proposed changes are intended to eliminate content redundancy between undergraduate and predoctoral dental education by integration of the biomedical sciences--in particular, biochemistry, microbiology, and physiology--into other clinically oriented coursework and learning experiences in the curriculum based on a pathophysiology model that fosters students' comprehension of the etiology of oral and systemic diseases encountered by the general dental practitioner. The authors explore how changes in the biomedical science prerequisites for dental school matriculation and associated modifications in curriculum focus and content would impact admissions testing, composition of national board exams, and strategies for teaching and learning within dental schools.
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Lack of curricular time, faculty time, and funding are potential limitations for communication skills training in dentistry. Interdisciplinary collaboration amongst health care faculties could address these limitations. This article describes the development, implementation, and student perceptions of a communication skills program in dentistry. ⋯ Cross-sectional data were gathered via written surveys from 143 learners (second- and third-year dental students) in 2006-07. Students perceived the ability to recognize effective communication, demonstrated awareness of their communication strengths and weaknesses, and reported that skills gained were transferable to actual patient care. Interdisciplinary collaboration was a feasible way to address the lack of resources in the development of a communications skills program, which was perceived to be worthwhile by learners.