This study examined the inluence of community-based dental education (CBDE) on dental students' perceived ability to treat underserved patients and their selection of community dental clinics as a irst career path. In a 2009 survey, fourth-year dental students at the University of Michigan recorded their attitudes, skill level, and conidence in treating underserved patients before and after CBDE rotations and estimated what percentage of their practice they planned to devote to Medicaid-eligible patients. The irst career choices of graduates from 2005 to 2010 were also correlated with the number of weeks the students spent in CBDE rotations. The results showed an improvement in student skill and conidence in treating low-income patients after the rotations. The examination of irst career choices showed that, after three to ive weeks of CBDE rotations, 5.6 percent of the students planned to practice in a community-based dental clinic. However, in 2009 when rotations were increased to eight weeks and included multiple clinic types, 11.8 percent of the students in 2009 and 16.5 percent in 2010 selected a community-based dental clinic as their preferred practice location. These indings suggest that CBDE improves dental students' skill and conidence level in treating underserved patients and that more time spent in CBDE rotations, speciically more than ive weeks in multiple clinic types, may increase the number of graduates who select practice in community-based clinics as a irst career choice.

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This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of dental students to administer emergency oxygen to a patient during a simulated emergency. Forty third-year (D3) and fourth-year (D4) dental students were recruited and asked to demonstrate their ability in managing a simulated angina attack. Students were tested on their knowledge related to emergency medical protocols, the time taken to obtain oxygen, and operation of the oxygen equipment. Of the subjects tested, 68 percent independently identified the need for oxygen and the correct location of the equipment in the dental school. Only 15 percent of the students completed the experiment within a predetermined optimal time frame, and 50 percent of all students did not successfully operate the tank regulator to administer oxygen correctly. Although most participants in the study were able to verbalize the proper protocol for managing medical emergencies, the chairside execution in this situation demonstrates room for improvement. Incorporation of periodic simulation exercises, in addition to classroom education, is likely to improve the ability of dental students to manage medical emergencies.

The objectives of this project were to create a program that would expose underrepresented minority (URM) and low income (LI) high school students to dental professions and provide an opportunity for dental and dental hygiene students from URM/LI groups to be engaged in teaching activities. Data were collected from participants during the school years 2009-10 (high school students: N=23, dental students: N=21, dental hygiene students: N=5) and 2010-11 (N=27, N=11, N=3, respectively). The students participated in ifteen Saturday sessions from October through March each year. The data showed that, from the beginning, mentees and mentors were very interested in participating in the program and getting to know each other. Lectures, general program activities, and patient-related events such as organizing a health fair and shadowing during two outreach clinics were evaluated positively by mentees and mentors. The end of program evaluations showed that the program and the mentee-mentor relationships were rated very positively and that the mentees had an increased interest in oral health-related careers. In conclusion, creating opportunities for URM/LI high school students to explore dental careers and for dental and dental hygiene students to engage in teaching resulted in positive experiences for both groups.

In dental school clinics, students spend a great deal of time waiting for faculty members to check and approve their work. Traditionally at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, students have left their cubicles to form lines behind supervising faculty members, and this line of students would follow the faculty member around from patient to patient. To address this problem and improve the patient experience, the school computerized the approval‐seeking process by building the Faculty Request System (FRS) to enable students to stay with their patients while seeking the necessary approvals. The FRS produced a large volume of time‐stamped, business intelligence data that enabled further evaluation. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of this change, including the quality/process improvement interventions that were possible due to information revealed by the FRS. The results showed no change in the number of students or faculty members per clinic session across the three years of this evaluation. With the FRS, the amount of time students spent away from their patients was reduced from 40.6 minutes to 12.1 minutes. After the FRS was implemented, there was an eradication of appointments that ended 30 minutes late (from 0.03% to zero) and a reduction of appointments that ended 15 minutes late (from 0.25% to 0.01%). There were also increases in students' starting appointments on time (9.8% of start checks to 25.8%), 15 minutes late (16.6% to 35.2%), and 30 minutes late (13.2% to 22.2%). By critically analyzing data from the new system, the school's leadership can analyze trends and make data‐driven decisions to alter operations. The results of this study suggest that this process can improve the patient and student experience and faculty utilization.