Comparison of dental education and professional development between mainland China and North America

Abstract

Different educational and professional developments within the dental field create different sets of missions, norms, and practices regarding dental diseases and their appropriate treatment. This review has addressed differences in dental education and professional development between mainland China and North America. Many factors influence the choice of model and it is very difficult to predict which model will become predominant. However, there is growing sentiment that the independent faculty model in North America is logical and superior to the model, which 'integrates' dental and medical education in mainland China. Many North America dental schools place a high priority on preclinical and clinical training in the curriculum in order to expose students to patient oral health needs and systemic dental problems much earlier than in mainland China. North America dental schools promote and embrace students self-learning skills by the use of PBL, CRL, and TRAD education methodologies and new e-based technologies and approaches whereby students learn rather than are taught. In mainland China, the traditional lecture-based format is still employed in the majority of dental schools; however, strategies to enhance students self-learning skills is increasingly utilised in most well-known Chinese dental schools. The Chinese dental education model, which treats dentistry as a sub-specialty of medicine, has brought about fundamental differences, with the dentist functioning essentially as a stomatologist. For example, China has built up a large oral and maxillofacial surgery society, and craniofacial surgery is performed to a much broader extent by Chinese dentists than by most North American counterparts. In North America, dentists engage in full-time work, attend continuing training/education programmes, belong to an association, gain legal status, and construct a code of ethics emphasising the quality of care delivered to the public. Currently, continuing dental education in North America is available through a variety of venues involving licensing authorities, universities and private programmes. The concept of professional development in mainland China is relatively new and is still considered primarily in the context of promotion or achieving a higher professional title. Mandatory continuing dental professional education requirements do not guarantee the competence of members of the profession. Today, the Chinese government and society place increasing emphasis upon the accountability of self-regulating professions. Rather than attempting to summarise the current scope of dental education and professional development between mainland China and North America, this paper hopes to enhance mutual understanding, and promote greater academic exchanges in dental education.

Virtual microscopy system at Chinese medical university: an assisted teaching platform for promoting active learning and problem-solving skills

“…Because there are more students than available teachers and equipment, traditional Chinese teaching usually relies on a lecture-based format as the formal approach to preclinical training. This rote teaching approach facilitates retention of knowledge but fails to effectively integrate students’ skills of critical thinking and decision-making [2,3]. The VM system can provide an opportunity to learn critically in the setting of limited physical resources.…”

“…Because of the high number of students, shortage of teachers and limited equipment, Chinese teaching usually relies on rote learning and instruction instead of active investigation by students, which can promote creativity and imagination [2]. Compared with most developed countries in Europe and North America, China faces some unique problems within its medical education as a result of its history and culture [2,3]. …”

“…At most universities in China, histology courses are traditionally lecture-based, incorporating the use of textbooks, glass slides and conventional microscopy. These courses have been confronted by resource limitations, including too many students and not enough space to accommodate them all, and very few instructors and teaching resources, including human specimens and microsections [3]. Circumstances such as these can act to reduce creativity and problem-solving skills training in the curriculum.…”

“…Circumstances such as these can act to reduce creativity and problem-solving skills training in the curriculum. To enhance these skills, schools in North America and Europe currently have used problem-based learning (PBL), case-reinforced learning (CRL) education methodologies and new e-based technologies and approaches [3]. The PBL methodology, which aims to cultivate students’ creativity and practical abilities, has been used in China since the mid-1980s.…”

Improved performance of students instructed in a hybrid PBL format

“…At the same time there has been little increase in the amount of teachers. Together these factors result in traditional lecture-based learning (LBL) in a large classroom (over 100 students) as the major mode of teaching and learning in Chinese medical school [1]. Although there are ways to liven up LBL and strategies to make it more effective, it is mostly passive learning [2].…”