The Graduating European Dentist—Domain I: Professionalism

Introduction Although the interdisciplinary management of the ageing individual is highly stressed, there is limited information on the outcomes of interprofessional education (IPE) activities of dental students in geriatrics. This systematic review aimed to identify studies with dentists participating in formal IPE courses in geriatrics and assess the outcomes reported. Material and Methods Electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and Scopus), reference lists from relevant studies and cited papers were investigated. The inclusion criteria were as follows: about formal interactive learning; learners from at least 2 disciplines; including dentists; related to geriatrics; any study design; reporting any outcome; only full papers; published in peer‐reviewed journals; English language. Results Of the 1259 records retrieved, 26 were assessed for eligibility based on defined inclusion criteria and 7 studies were included in the final analysis. Two studies reported specific outcomes for dentists with lower, or even negative, post‐training scores for interprofessional collaborative practice competences compared to other disciplines, but only one of them used a previously validated scale. There were no reports on the effect of IPE courses on dental trainees’ gerodontology skill improvements or on their attitudes towards the older persons. Conclusion The existing evidence is insufficient to determine any outcomes of formal interprofessional training of dentists in geriatrics. More studies with better experimental design should be developed. Among the strengths of IPE in geriatrics are the interdisciplinary nature of geriatric care, the sharing of common geriatric competences among participating disciplines and the opportunity to use nursing homes as a training site.

“…Team working and communication skills are important competences for the graduating dentist. However, issues of hierarchy and learning to work in isolation are still prevalent.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…10,[21][22][23] Health care professional students should be at the same training level when exposed to IPE, to standardise educational content. 7,22 Team working 27 and communication skills 28 are important competences for the graduating dentist. However, issues of hierarchy and learning to work in isolation are still prevalent.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental participation in geriatric interprofessional education courses: A systematic review

Kossioni

Marchini

Childs

2018

“…Professionalism is also recognised as one of the four domains (Domain I) by the Association of Dental Educators in Europe (ADEE) essential to dental education. It lists three key competences associated with professionalism: Ethics, Regulation and Professional Behaviour …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It lists three key competences associated with professionalism: Ethics, Regulation and Professional Behaviour. 5 One aspect of our role as dental educators is to support and encourage students to develop these desired norms, values and behaviours so they can demonstrate professional competencies in their working environment and clinical practice. Although scholarship in medical education has made significant inroads in the teaching and assessment of medical professionalism, 6 there is no shared definition of professionalism 2 for medics and dentists.…”

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confidence: 99%

Developing a Dental Scrubs Ceremony to define professional identity and teach professionalism to dental undergraduates; lessons learned

Neville

McNally

Waylen

2018

Introduction The UK General Dental Council stipulates that professionalism is a key aspect of the teaching and training of dental students. However, dental educators highlight that teaching dental student's professionalism can be challenging and students often rate this teaching activity negatively. This article documents a teaching initiative at one UK Dental School that aimed to strengthen the professionalism curriculum by introducing a Dental Scrubs Ceremony for second‐year students. Materials and method The Dental Scrubs Ceremony is inspired by the White Coat Ceremonies that medical students have in universities in North America. It marks the students’ first step in their professional and clinical development, with the signing of a pledge of conduct and public presentation of dental scrubs to each student. We report student feedback questionnaire data over a three‐year period together with reflections on the merits and limitations of this alternative approach to teaching professionalism. Results Student evaluation data show that the perceived usefulness and worthwhileness of a Dental Scrubs Ceremony have grown since its inception in 2015. Most students enjoyed the symbolism of the ceremony, receiving their dental scrubs in a formal event. However, there was mixed evaluation for its effectiveness to teach professionalism. Conclusion A Dental Scrubs Ceremony is a useful addition to the formal curriculum of professionalism in a dental school. It provides dental students with an opportunity to be inducted into the dental profession as novice dental students starting out on their professional career.

“…Dentistry in Society. [9][10][11][12][13] Besides these activities, dental schools in European universities have been working to revamp their undergraduate and postgraduate education in the light of the Bologna Process. 14 As the process of harmonisation of dental education is still ongoing, several differences still exist within the universities based on the EU.…”

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confidence: 99%

Twenty years after the launch of Bologna Process—What is the status of harmonisation of dental education?

Kirnbauer

Ali

2019

Background and Aims Higher education in the European Union states has undergone a major reform towards harmonisation following the “Bologna Declaration.” The aim of this paper is to evaluate the implementation of the Bologna Process in Dental Education following its 20th anniversary and identify commonalities and differences in the way dental programmes are delivered in the EU. Methods According to the aim of this study, an Internet search, based on the EU Manual published in 2015, was undertaken and included representative university/dental faculty websites from each EU member state. The search was focused on the type of the under‐ and postgraduate dental programmes (cycles), the awarded undergraduate degrees (bachelor, master, doctorate), duration of undergraduate study programmes, awarded ECTS credits and the necessity of mandatory postgraduate practical training. Results were collated, and descriptive statistical analysis was undertaken. Results The search identified 26 EU states out of a total of 28 as providers of dental education. Two of the 26 countries offer a bachelor's degrees (Bachelor of Dental Surgery); five countries offer a combined bachelor's and master's degree; and ten countries still award the doctor's degree for the undergraduate education. Finally, three countries award diploma for the graduating dentist. Conclusions Two decades after the launch, noticeable differences in the structure and duration of undergraduate dental programmes persist and these may be attributed to curricular structure and university regulations in individual EU countries.