Texas dental journal
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Texas dental journal · Jan 2014
A student operated, faculty mentored dental clinic service experience at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for the underserved refugee community: an interprofessional approach.
As the number of refugees settling in San Antonio increases, so will their health care needs. Due to limited resources and stress, they suffer from acute and chronic diseases, reducing their potential for success in their new host country. The need for proper health education coupled with a stable holistic health care facility is essential for their future success. ⋯ The use of this interprofessional model has resulted in holistic and accessible health care for the refugees in San Antonio. Patients receive complimentary comprehensive care while students benefit from development of cultural competence reinforcement of humanitarian values. It is difficult to conclude which group is the biggest beneficiary of attending SARHC. As the dental students reflected, "We started attending the clinic as a service learning project. We then became their advocates, treated them at our dental school, and became knowledgeable about our community's dental clinics while offering tailored referrals."
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Academic dentistry, as a career track, is not attracting sufficient numbers of new recruits to maintain a corps of skilled dental educators. The Faculty Development Program (FDP) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School received federal funds to institute a 7-component program to enhance faculty recruitment and retention and provide training in skills associated with success in academics including:(1) a Teaching Excellence and Academic Skills (TExAS)Fellowship, (2) training in research methodology,evidence-based practice research, and information management, (3) an annual dental hygiene faculty development workshop for dental hygiene faculty, (4) a Teaching Honors Program and Academic Dental Careers Fellowship to cultivate students' interest in educational careers, (5) an Interprofessional Primary Care Rotation,(6) advanced education support toward a master's degree in public health, and (7) a key focus of the entire FDP, an annual Career Transition Workshop to facilitate movement from the practice arena to the educational arm of the profession. The Career Transition Workshop is a cap stone for the FDP; its goal is to build a bridge from practice to academic environment. ⋯ Topics will be addressed including: academic culture, preparation for the academic environment,academic responsibilities, terms of employment,compensation and benefits, career planning, and job search / interviewing. Instructors for the workshop will include dental school faculty who have transitioned from the practice, military, and public health sectors into dental education. Objectives of the Overall Faculty Development Program:• Provide training in teaching and research skills,career planning, and leadership in order to address faculty shortages in dental schools and under representation of minority faculty.• Provide resident and faculty training in cultural and linguistic competency.• Develop and conduct a collaborative inter professional education project with a Pediatric Medicine department, a nursing school, and other health professions' education programs.• Provide faculty and residents with financial support to pursue a master's degree in public health; and • Provide support and assistance for dental practitioners desiring to explore a transition into the educational environment.