This study revealed some significant findings concerning the views of dental school seniors. Through a series of questions, we determined the opinions that seniors had about treating patients with bloodborne infections and the way they regarded their professional responsibility to provide care to these patients. We were able to identify that the majority of seniors had knowingly treated patients with one of these diseases, and believed that they had a professional obligation to do so. The study showed that these future professionals were aware of the risks related to disease transmission and they had real concerns about those risks; nevertheless, they were prepared to accept their professional obligation to provide care to these individuals. More than half of the survey population was fearful of treating patients with these diseases, and over half indicated that they would not treat these patients given the choice. This fear was compounded by their presumption that other patients would not want to be treated by a dentist who provides care to HBV/HIV patients, and by the presumption of increased cost of infection control. More than three fourths of these dental seniors agreed that treatment of infected patients would place them at higher risk. Nevertheless, in the face of this perceived danger, 62 percent indicated that they were willing to treat these patients, 79 percent said that they were capable of treating them, and 76 percent acknowledged the responsibility of the profession to treat. Another finding of note involves the treatment of infected patients and the effect that treatment experience had on the seniors' attitudes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The 1995 Institute of Medicine study of the future of dental education, Dental Education at the Crossroads: Challenges and Change, recommended that dental schools increase the use of nontenure-track positions in their employment of faculty. As part of a larger investigation of faculty appointment processes in U.S. dental schools, dental deans were queried about institutional policies governing faculty appointments and the use of tenure and nontenure faculty tracks. Response from the fifty-four U.S. schools exceeded 90 percent for each of two mailed questionnaires. Dental schools were classified according to one of two emphases: clinical or research. Deans classified faculty into one of seven appointment tracks. Nontenure-track appointments were less common in clinical-emphasis schools. Research-emphasis schools had a greater mean proportion of their faculties in both the nontenure research track (7.0 percent vs. 2.7 percent) and the nontenure clinical track (20.8 percent vs. 17.4 percent). Compared to faculty appointment data reported in 1990, there were more nontenure-track faculty in 81 percent of research-oriented schools and 55 percent of clinical-oriented schools. The most frequently cited reasons for more nontenure faculty in these thirty-three schools were greater administrative flexibility, better fulfillment of mission, and increased difficulty achieving tenure. This study showed the number of faculty holding nontenure-track appointments had increased since 1990, especially among researchemphasis dental schools.

Network aims to enhance the region's research capacity and infrastructure with support in research design and technology, professional development and mentorship, and funding for pilot projects. This study sought to identify characteristics of NNE-CTR investigators and their research interests, training needs, and perceived barriers to research. Methods:A registration survey and needs-assessment module were developed and administered to investigators in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Univariate statistics were calculated for all structured items. Bivariate frequencies were generated to assess the relationship between training interests and level of research experience. Content analysis was used to identify common themes. Results:Of 272 investigators, many were women (60%), white (85%), and physicians (54%). Most respondents reported participating in a research project (88%) and an interest in translational science research (51%). Fewer than half reported receiving extramural funding. Many respondents expressed interest in receiving mentoring and/or training related to study design. Participants with fewer than 3 years of research experience were more likely to report barriers related to lack of time to conduct research, while participants with ≥3 years of experience more often reported inadequate institutional support and challenges in recruiting and identifying patients. Discussion:Echoing findings from other needs assessment efforts, this study underscores the need to build core research skills through professional development and to tailor training opportunities to investigator's needs. Conclusions:Ongoing efforts to match the identified needs and interests with the appropriate resources remains a key feature of the NNE-CTR.

This article presents the results of a small workgroup convened by the American Association of Dental Schools to examine experiences related to establishing and conducting dental education programs that have significant affiliations with community‐based clinical care settings. The workgroup meeting is a component of the association's effort to identify and promote innovative and non‐traditional methods by which the number of postdoctoral general dentistry (PGD) positions can be increased to meet current demand for PGD education. The participants identified factors and conditions believed to be critical to successful program linkages. The information should be helpful to others as they consider opportunities to establish PGD programs or increase their number of PGD training positions.

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