Journal of dental education
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The objective of this article is to report the development, implementation, and early results of a non-graded normative dental student clinical performance assessment system based on our competencies documents. The normative system (student performance is compared to evidence-based clinical standards) was used and evaluated during the 2002-03 academic year and is now gradually replacing the traditional summative (numerical) grading system previously used at Baylor College of Dentistry. ⋯ The results showed strong positive responses to the new system by graduates and faculty alike. We conclude that early results warrant broadened efforts toward a continuously improved schoolwide normative student clinical performance assessment system.
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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.
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Dental school deans were surveyed to update and expand the profile of a dean developed in a 1999 survey and to assess whether the profile has changed since the initial survey. The demographic characteristics and qualifications of dental school deans were similar in 1999 and 2002. The dean turnover rate and average length of deanship have not significantly changed since 1990. ⋯ Dental school deans are almost always full professors with tenure and have had significant administrative experience as department chairs and assistant/associate deans and have served on boards outside of their institution. Deans typically are scholars with multiple published journal articles, textbooks, or chapters and have been the principal investigator for grants and contracts. This information provides insight into the background necessary to become a dental school dean and the qualities sought by dental schools.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A preliminary study in using virtual reality to train dental students.
This study compared virtual reality simulator-enhanced training with laboratory-only practice on the development of dental technical skills. Sixty-eight students were randomly assigned to practice their skills in either a traditional preclinical dentistry laboratory or in combination with a virtual reality simulator. ⋯ These results indicate that the use of virtual reality simulators holds promise for the training of future dentists. Additional research is necessary to determine the ideal implementation of virtual reality simulators into traditional dentistry curricula.