Journal of dental education
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Chinese dental education is organized and controlled by the government at different levels, and the curriculum is based on the stomatology model. The unique feature of this system has been a heavy emphasis on the medical sciences and the integration of medicine with dentistry. However, the problems with this curriculum have been greater than its advantages since a dental student trained under this educational model was unlikely to be well prepared for patient care in a clinical setting and could struggle to apply modern techniques during his or her professional career. ⋯ This article describes the educational model developed during the project and presents several new educational concepts that have been put into practice in dental schools in China. Nevertheless, the new model is not without problems. If there are no additional innovations related to didactic teaching methods, clinical education, and interpersonal skills, the outcome of recent changes in the curriculum of Chinese dental schools will be unpredictable, and our dental education will not continue to advance.
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The purpose of this study was to assess the current characteristics of full-time faculty in baccalaureate dental hygiene programs in the United States. A mail questionnaire was sent to program administrators for distribution to faculty. Program response rate was 89.7 percent (26/29), and full-time faculty response rate was 68.3 percent (114/167). ⋯ A majority of the respondents (56 percent [39/70]) indicated that they plan to retire from the labor force in ten years or less. Three conclusions may be drawn from the findings of this study: 1) there is a lack of diversity within the dental hygiene faculty, which currently consists primarily of white females with few underrepresented minorities and males; 2) if trends persist, there will be a noticeable shortage of dental hygiene educators in the future as faculty move toward retirement without equivalent numbers of younger individuals joining the ranks of the faculty; and 3) there is a lack of published information regarding dental hygiene faculty characteristics. To address the potential academic workforce shortage, we make two recommendations based indirectly on the findings of this study: 1) the American Dental Association should include more information on dental hygiene faculty characteristics in its existing annual survey of all accredited programs; and 2) the number of advanced education programs in dental hygiene should be increased.
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Although the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) was developed for the purpose of supporting the dental licensure process, it can have significant influence on dental school curricula. Efforts to revise and enhance dental curricula, of necessity, must engage stakeholder communities and promote an assessment process that is both valid and relevant to contemporary dental practice. ⋯ In addition, there is a need for ongoing research and development to explore new testing strategies that stress understanding and the ability to apply information in a problem-solving context. Finally, examinations could be enhanced with a broader array of high-quality supporting case materials through a more structured collaborative arrangement between dental schools and the National Board testing program.
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Building the faculty of the future has to be rooted in understanding the nature of future oral health delivery practices. Unfortunately, no one can reliably predict that future. Accepting any given scenario inevitably requires a leap of faith, but the cost of guessing wrong is high. ⋯ It is not an optimal arrangement. Among practical suggestions to enhance recruitment of faculty are innovations in imprinting students early with the identity of being an educator and, in association with this concept, assisting with financing the education of future teachers. Ultimately, success in the dental educational enterprise will depend on attracting individuals who are intrinsically captivated by teaching as a moral vocation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Use of the OSCE to evaluate brief communication skills training for dental students.
Although communications competency is recommended by the American Dental Education Association, only a few (n=5) dental schools report evaluating students' skills using a competency examination for communication. This study used an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to evaluate dental students' competency in interpersonal and tobacco cessation communication skills. All students were evaluated on their interpersonal communication skills at baseline and at six months post-OSCE by standardized patients and on their tobacco cessation communication skills by two independent raters. ⋯ However, among first-year students, both the intervention (n=23) and control (n=21) groups significantly increased in tobacco cessation communication scores. Second-year students in both intervention (n=24) and control (n=28) groups declined in interpersonal communication skills from baseline to post-test. Overall, this one-shot intervention was not successful, and results suggest that a comprehensive communication skills training course may be more beneficial than a single, brief training session for improving dental students' communication skills.