Black and Hispanic predoctoral dental students' perceptions and considerations of careers in academic dentistry.

BACKGROUND: Dental schools aim to train and support a diverse dentist workforce. Among all faculty, full-time and part-time faculty who identify as members of historically underrepresented groups are 13.9% and 8.4%, respectively. The recruitment and retention of faculty is a known challenge, with growing faculty vacancies at dental schools. This study explored dental student perceptions of academic careers, specifically focusing on Black and Hispanic predoctoral students. METHODS: From August to November 2022, we conducted focus group with second-, third-, and fourth-year predoctoral dental students who identified as Black or Hispanic using a semi-structured interview guide that was developed for this study. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: (1) students perceived academic dental dentistry as inclusive but not diverse spaces for Black and Hispanic people; (2) academic dental careers were perceived as secondary careers; (3) academic dental careers were perceived as a career option with a lack of autonomy and less income, compared to clinical practice in other settings; (4) students expressed a lack of knowledge about pathways to academic dental careers. Despite these challenges, students expressed interest in academic dental careers and noted being inspired by younger faculty members. CONCLUSION: Dental schools must do more to encourage dental students to consider careers in academic dentistry. Pathway programs, mentoring, and the presentation of academic careers as a viable career option for students by faculty should be further emphasized practices. Increasing the diversity of faculty members is also key. Students cannot be who they cannot see.

Producción científica de los docentes de Estomatología en Ciego de Ávila del 2010 al 2019 / Scientific Production of Stomatology Teachers in Ciego de Ávila from 2010 to 2019

El objetivo de la investigación fue caracterizar la producción científica de los docentes de Estomatología de la Universidad de las Ciencias Médicas de Ciego de Ávila, publicada en revistas científicas indexadas en bases de datos bibliográficas nacionales e internacionales del 2010 al 2019. Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo transversal, mediante un análisis bibliométrico, con los indicadores referidos a los artículos y los autores. Se hizo la búsqueda manual a partir de los nombres de cada docente en los metabuscadores Google, Google Académico y Google Metrics por separado y en las 104 revistas cubanas de las ciencias de la salud editadas por la Editorial de Ciencias Médicas entre 2010 y 2019. Se publicaron 80 artículos, el año 2015 fue el de mayor cantidad (16). El 61,7 por ciento de estos fueron artículos originales. Los 67 docentes del claustro tienen autoría y diez resultaron más productivos. El 46,2 por ciento de las publicaciones fueron citadas. El 91,2 por ciento de los artículos fueron publicados en revistas indexadas en bases de datos especializadas. El tipo de estudio que predominó fue el observacional (31). El índice de colaboración internacional y nacional fue de 0,04. La media de autor por artículo es cuatro. La producción científica y el impacto reflejado en la citación es bajo. La mayoría de los artículos se publicaron en revistas indexadas en bases de datos especializadas de reconocimiento latinoamericano, fueron artículos originales; prevaleció la materia estomatología, el tipo de estudio observacional, la baja colaboración internacional y la autoría múltiple(AU)

The objective of the research was to characterize the scientific production of Stomatology teachers of the University of Medical Sciences of Ciego de Avila, published in scientific journals indexed in national and international bibliographic databases from 2010 to 2019. An observational, cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out, by means of a bibliometric analysis, with indicators referred to articles and authors. The manual search was made from the names of each teacher in the Google, Google Scholar and Google Metrics meta-search engines separately and in the 104 Cuban journals of the health sciences published by the Medical Sciences publishing house between 2010 and 2019. Eighty articles were published, 2015 was the year with the highest number (16). Of these, 61.7percent were original articles. All 67 faculty members have authorship and 10 were the most productive. 46.2percent of the publications were cited. 91.2percent of the articles were published in journals indexed in specialized databases. The predominant type of study was observational (31). The international and national collaboration index was 0.04. The average number of authors per article was four. The scientific production and the impact reflected in the citation is low. Most of the articles were published in journals indexed in specialized databases of Latin American recognition and were original articles; the subject of stomatology, the type of observational study, low international collaboration and multiple authorship prevailed(AU)

Problemas que limitan la interdisciplinariedad entre la Farmacología y las asignaturas clínicas en Estomatología / Problems that limit interdisciplinary between Pharmacology and Stomatology clinical subjects

RESUMEN Fundamento: El desarrollo de la interdisciplinariedad entre la unidad curricular Farmacología y las asignaturas clínicas de la Disciplina Principal Integradora en la carrera Estomatología, resulta indispensable para la formación integral del futuro egresado. Objetivo: Identificar los problemas que limitan el desarrollo de la interdisciplinariedad entre la Farmacología y las asignaturas clínicas de la Disciplina Principal Integradora en la carrera Estomatología. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo transversal entre noviembre y diciembre de 2020 en la Facultad de Estomatología de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Santiago de Cuba. Se consideraron como unidades de análisis: actividades docentes y directivos académicos, se seleccionó una muestra aleatoria en ambos casos (n=18 y n=8, respectivamente). Se estudiaron las variables: relaciones interdisciplinarias con la Farmacología (se observa, no se observa y se observa poco), categoría docente, categoría científica, grado académico/científico, grado de especialización y opinión de directivos académicos (siempre, a veces y nunca). Como instrumento de medición se empleó guía de observación y de entrevista, respectivamente. Se empleó el porcentaje como medida de resumen. Resultados: En más del 50 % de las actividades docentes de las asignaturas clínicas de la Disciplina Principal Integradora, no se observa las relaciones interdisciplinarias con la Farmacología. En las entrevistas realizadas a los directivos académicos, predominó la opinión: nunca. Conclusiones: Las insuficiencias didácticas, metodológicas, académicas e investigativas identificadas, limitan el desarrollo de la interdisciplinariedad entre la unidad curricular Farmacología y las asignaturas clínicas de la Disciplina Principal Integradora en la carrera Estomatología.

ABSTRACT Background: The development of interdisciplinarity between the curricular Pharmacology unit and the clinical subjects of the Main discipline in the Stomatology career is essential for the integral formation of the future graduate. Objective: To identify the problems that limit the development of interdisciplinarity between Pharmacology and the clinical subjects of the Main Comprehensive Discipline in the Stomatology career. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was conducted between November and December 2020 in the Stomatology Faculty at the Santiago de Cuba University of Medical Sciences. The following were considered as analysis units: teaching activities and academic directors, a random sample was selected in both cases (n=18 and n=8, respectively). The following variables were studied: interdisciplinary relations with Pharmacology (observed, not observed and little observed), teaching category, scientific category, academic/scientific degree, specialization degree and the academic directors´ opinion (always, sometimes and never). Observation and interview guides were used respectively as measurement instruments. Percentage was used as a summary measure. Results: In more than 50 % of the teaching activities of the clinical subjects of the Main Comprehensive Discipline, interdisciplinary relations with Pharmacology are not observed. In the interviews conducted with academic managers, the prevailed opinion was never. Conclusions: The didactic, methodological, academic and research inadequacies identified, limit the development of interdisciplinarity between the curricular unit Pharmacology and the clinical subjects of the Main Comprehensive Discipline in the Stomatology career.

Clase metodológica instructiva de la asignatura Sistema Masticatorio, orientada a la relación básico-clínica / Instructive methodological class of the Masticatory System subject, oriented towards the basic-clinical relationship

RESUMEN La preparación del personal docente en las universidades exige un alto nivel científico y de maestría pedagógica. Todo esto requiere un esmerado trabajo metodológico que garantice una planificación organización, regulación y control del proceso docente educativo. Para esto se diseñó una clase metodológica instructiva sobre mucosa oral, de la asignatura Sistema Masticatorio, en la disciplina Histología, con el objetivo de instruir al profesor en la utilización de la vinculación básico-clínica. Se indicó a los profesores cómo relacionar el contenido de la clase con la clínica, desde el punto de vista de las lesiones precancerosas y sus factores de riesgo. Se logró la instrucción de los docentes en la utilización del contenido de las asignaturas y disciplinas de las Ciencias Básicas con la relación básico-clínica, y así se contribuyó a ampliar el espectro científico metodológico de los docentes en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Matanzas (AU).

ABSTRACT Training the teaching staff in the universities demands a high scientific level and pedagogical expertise. All of these requires a careful methodological work guaranteeing the teaching-learning process planning, organization, regulation and control. For that the authors designed an instructive methodological lesson aimed to train the teaching staff in the use of the basic-clinical link during a lesson of the subject Masticatory System about Oral Mucosa, in the subject Histology. They indicate to professors how to relate the lesson content to clinic from the point of view of pre-cancer lesions and its risk factors. Training the teaching staff in the use of subjects and disciplines of the Basic Sciences with the basic-clinical relation, the authors contribute to widening the scientific methodological spectrum of the teaching staff of the Matanzas University of Medical Sciences (AU).

La mínima intervención en cariología en el plan de estudios D de la carrera de Estomatología en Cuba / Minimal intervention in cariology in Cuba Dentistry career study program D

Objetivo: Determinar la presencia de acercamientos a la mínima intervención en cariología en los temas sobre el proceso caries dental de los programas de asignaturas del plan de estudios D de la carrera de Estomatología. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación cualitativa, documental, analítica, a través de una lectura crítica y valorativa de los 20 programas de las asignaturas de la disciplina integradora del plan de estudios D de la carrera de Estomatología. Se realizó un análisis del contenido de cada uno de los programas de asignatura en busca de indicios de la inclusión en los mismos de temas relacionados con la caries dental y si estos se correspondían con los principios de la mínima intervención en cariología. Los datos extraídos fueron el nombre de la asignatura, año académico, total de horas del programa, inclusión de la temática del proceso caries dental, inclusión de temas relacionados con el proceso caries dental según la mínima intervención en cariología, literatura básica recomendada, especificidad de los temas tratados referentes al proceso caries dental. Resultados: De las 13 referencias básicas de los programas de estudio el 54 % se remontan a publicaciones del pasado siglo y el resto a inicios del presente. Los programas incluyen temas relacionados con la prevención y curación del proceso caries dental, factores de riesgo, etiología, conceptos, clasificaciones y características clínicas y en 3.er año la asignatura Epidemiología. Ese mismo año, y posteriores, los temas referentes se hacen redundantes y se repiten en asignaturas consiguientes. Conclusiones: Los programas de asignaturas de la disciplina integradora del plan de estudios D de la carrera de Estomatología carecen de la presencia de preceptos sobre la mínima intervención para el tratamiento de la caries dental excepto la de Odontopediatría(AU)

Objective: To determine the presence of the minimum intervention in cariology in the topics on the dental caries process of the subject programs of the Study Plan of the Stomatology career. Methods: A qualitative analytical documentary research was carried out through a critical and evaluative reading of the 20 programs of the subjects of the integrating discipline of the Study Plan D of the Stomatology career. An analysis of the content of each of the subject programs was carried out in search of indications of the inclusion in them of topics related to dental caries and if these were related to the principles of Minimum Intervention in Cariology. The data extracted were the name of the subject, academic year, total hours of the program, inclusion of the topic of dental caries process, inclusion of topics related to the dental caries process according to the minimal intervention in cariology, recommended basic literature, specificity of the topics covered referring to the dental caries process. Results: Of the 13 basic references of the study programs, 54% go back to publications of the last century and the rest to the beginning of the present. The programs include topics related to the prevention and cure of the dental caries process, risk factors, etiology, concepts, classifications and clinical characteristics and in the 3rd year the subject Epidemiology. That same year and later, the reference topics become redundant and are repeated in subsequent subjects. Conclusions: The subject programs of the integrating discipline of the Stomatology Career Curriculum lack the presence of precepts on the minimum intervention for the treatment of dental caries except that of Pediatric Dentistry(AU)

Characteristics of an excellent orthodontic residency program.

INTRODUCTION: Although unquantifiable features, such as faculty passion and dedication to teaching, play a vital role in defining the quality of residency education, determinable features that are fundamental to the definition of a "top tier" orthodontic residency program also exist. The objective of this study was to identify those features. METHODS: A survey with 32 items was developed and validated to assess the features of an excellent orthodontic program based on the following 3 major domains: faculty, education, and resident/graduate student/alumni. The survey was sent to 62 orthodontic residency programs in the United States. RESULTS: Thirty-nine programs (63%) completed the survey. Recurring attributes that were identified in what constitutes an excellent program included the following: an adequate number of full-time clinical orthodontic faculty, with each member providing 1 day per week clinic coverage. The average of all respondents was 4, and the range was 1-6; a healthy mix of part-time faculty members with ≥1 full-time faculty member who monitors every clinical session; 80% full-time faculty members who are American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) certified; a craniofacial faculty member; 4 residents/graduate students per each faculty member who covers a clinical session; resident/graduate student exposure to a wide range of treatment modalities and appliances; approximately 70 new case starts per resident/graduate student (50%-60% of patients who are started are debonded by the starting resident/graduate student); patients with craniofacial anomalies and orthognathic surgery patients should be started by each resident/graduate student; 1.5 operatory chairs per resident or graduate student; 1 dental assistant per 4 residents/graduate students; 1 laboratory person; 1 receptionist/secretary per 4 residents; 100% of residents/graduate students successfully completing ABO written examination upon graduation; 60% of residents/graduate students obtaining ABO certification within 5 years of graduation; 50% of residents/graduate students presenting at national meetings would be ideal; and 50% of living alumni contributing financially to the department during the past 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the responses from the majority of the US orthodontic residency programs, this study has identified certain features that educators feel are ideal for an excellent orthodontic program.

Case Report of a Program to Enhance Dental Students' Interest in Academic Dentistry.

This case report describes a Teaching Honors Program (THP) at the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry and presents findings from an outcomes assessment covering the initial 11 years of the program. The program goals are to enhance dental students' awareness of academic career options, promote student and faculty collaboration on educational development projects, and provide students with training in teacher toolkit skills to increase their readiness for peer teaching during dental school and faculty roles early in their careers. The THP curriculum consists of six core courses and nine electives extending across the four years of dental school. THP graduates receive the academic designation "Distinction in Dental Education" at commencement. Outcomes data are organized by Kirkpatrick's Hierarchy of Educational Outcomes: reaction (participants' satisfaction with THP), indicators (students' attitudes and intentions pertinent to teaching and academic careers), learning (changes in knowledge and skills relevant to teachers' tasks), behavior (students' ability to apply teaching skills in classrooms, labs, and clinics), and results (changes in the infrastructure and capacity of the school as a consequence of the THP). Positive outcomes were found in multiple layers of the assessment hierarchy. In 2016, 51% of students participated in the THP, and 31 graduated with Distinction in Dental Education; in 2017, 50% participated, and 44 graduated with that honor. THP students provide approximately 1,400 hours of supervised peer teaching annually in the predoctoral curriculum and pre-matriculation programs, and 21% of the initial 106 THP graduates entered academic dentistry soon after graduation.

Faculty Development Initiatives in Academic Dentistry: A Systematic Review.

The aims of this systematic review were to collect a list of published articles on dental faculty development and to determine the types and location of programs evaluated and years of publication. A subset of selected articles were then assessed using Kirkpatrick assessment model four levels: learner reaction, participant learning, participant behavioral change, and changes in organizational practice. The search, conducted in 2016, comprised all potentially relevant articles in the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE via Ovid, and ERIC. The study screening was done by three reviewers in multiple stages: by title, abstract, and full text review. Following deduplication, 257 titles were obtained; of those, 102 articles were selected for abstract review. As a result of that review, 32 articles were excluded, leaving 70 for data extraction. The majority of the 70 articles were about programs in the U.S., and two-thirds were studies conducted at individual academic institutions. Most focused on faculty development initiatives (n=49), followed by retention (n=22), recruitment (n=16), and/or promotion/tenure (n=11). The year with the highest number of published articles was 1991 (n=10, 14%), followed by 2007 and 2011 (n=6, 8.6% each). Among the 12 articles evaluated with the Kirkpatrick model, most assessed Levels 1, 2, and 3, but very few addressed Level 4. Research in those 12 articles was conducted primarily at two dental schools: New York University College of Dentistry (n=5) and University of Florida College of Dentistry (n=4). This study generated a varied list of published articles on faculty development, but the results point to the need for research at more institutions and using additional methodologies.

Should Dental Schools Invest in Training Predoctoral Students for Academic Careers? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Dental Schools Should Add Academic Careers Training to Their Predoctoral Curricula to Enhance Faculty Recruitment and Viewpoint 2: Addition of Academic Careers Training for All Predoctoral Students Would Be Inefficient and Ineffective.

This Point/Counterpoint considers whether providing dental students with academic career training and teaching experiences during their predoctoral education would be valuable to recruit dental academicians. While training the next generation of dentists continues to be the primary focus for dental schools, the cultivation and recruitment of dental faculty members from the pool of dental students remain challenges. Viewpoint 1 supports the position that providing dental students with exposure to academic career opportunities has positive value in recruiting new dental faculty. The advantages of academic careers training as a required educational experience in dental schools and as a potential means to recruit dental students into the ranks of faculty are described in this viewpoint. In contrast, Viewpoint 2 contends that such career exposure has limited value and argues that, across the board, allocation of resources to support preparation for academic careers would have a poor cost-benefit return on investment. Adding a requirement for educational experiences for all students would overburden institutions, students, and faculty according to this viewpoint. The authors agree that research is needed to determine how and where to make predoctoral curricular changes that will have maximum impact on academic recruitment.

Self-perceived educational needs of junior assistant professors in Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics in France.

INTRODUCTION: Academic dental educators play a major role in training future dentists. They help students to develop medical knowledge and behavioural skills that improve the quality and rigor of their future practice. Therefore, their experience and knowledge are critical to ensure effective learning. However, a French national workshop revealed that most junior assistant professors lack educational skills at the beginning of their career. The aim of this study was to assess educational training needs of junior assistant professors in the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic survey was sent to junior assistant professors belonging to Departments of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics within the 16 French dental schools in 2016. This survey was designed to collect data regarding their motivations, teaching expertise and interest in pedagogy. RESULTS: Sixty of the 69 junior educators turned in their answers, which represents a response rate of 87%. About 86.7% of respondents cited their attraction to teaching as one of the main reasons behind their application. The major difficulty encountered by junior faculty was related to course preparation. Only 15% had received educational training despite the fact that 98.3% were convinced of the usefulness of such a training for junior teachers. CONCLUSION: This study identified the motivations and difficulties encountered by junior assistant professors. This collection of educational needs should be considered when planning a national programme for educational training of dental faculty that will promote the acquisition of teaching skills and improve the education of dental students.

Developing educators of European undergraduate dental students: Towards an agreed curriculum.

INTRODUCTION: Recent developments in European dental education are student-focused, concerned with competency-based and problem-based learning. The development of dental educators has so far received little consideration. This study aimed to agree curriculum content for developing dental educators so that they are better able to support changing undergraduate dental education. METHODS: Adopting consensus methodology, a 2-round Delphi was conducted in 2012. Fifty-three dental educators and 39 dental students across Europe volunteered to take part. The Delphi questionnaire was developed based on literature, piloted and sent to participants to gather opinions and seek consensus on educational content using rating scales and open-ended questions. Numeric data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analysed thematically. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This study revealed 7 domains of curriculum content for dental educators. Four of these domains were considered essential: educational principles; educational practice in dentistry; curriculum, quality and improvement; and educational professionalism. Three domains were viewed as optional and could be tailored to local needs: educational principles in relation to specific contexts, educational research, and educational and healthcare management. When developing training for dental educators, factors which need consideration were identified as the academic position and teaching experience of educators, and the nature of clinical dental education. CONCLUSION: The results are beneficial for individual educators to inform professional development plans; institutions to devise faculty developments; ADEE to inform policies on developing European dental educators; and other disciplines to inform training for their educators.

Experiences and Challenges of Clinical Dental Hygienists Transitioning into Teaching Roles.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the experiences of novice dental hygiene faculty when transitioning from private practice into clinical teaching roles.Methods: A phenomenological qualitative study was performed using focus groups; data was collected from the responses provided from clinical faculty members during semi-structured interviews. Focus groups were comprised of three to four members. Participants were asked open-ended questions regarding their experiences, and to identify helpful strategies which assisted them as they entered the clinical teaching setting.Results: Participants were both female (n=16) and male (n=1), ranging from 25 to 60+ years of age, with clinical teaching experience ranging from 1 to 5 years. Emergent themes, identified from an analysis performed on the participant's responses, revealed numerous strategies encountered by novice faculty as they entered clinical teaching roles. Strategies found to be helpful during the transition into clinical teaching included: shadowing experienced faculty, availability of resources such as textbooks and course materials for use as teaching aids, and orientation sessions held prior to the beginning of each semester. Few challenges were identified from the participants' responses, however, younger novice faculty members shared challenges in regards to being taken seriously by students due to their age. Older faculty members found relearning course content and terminology to be challenging.Conclusion: Increased understanding of the unique experiences of novice clinical faculty, and identification of the successful strategies and challenges encountered by these individuals, may aid in developing effective approaches and programs for novice faculty as they enter clinical teaching roles.

Will a Short Training Session Improve Multiple-Choice Item-Writing Quality by Dental School Faculty? A Pilot Study.

Faculty members are expected to write high-quality multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in order to accurately assess dental students' achievement. However, most dental school faculty members are not trained to write MCQs. Extensive faculty development programs have been used to help educators write better test items. The aim of this pilot study was to determine if a short workshop would result in improved MCQ item-writing by dental school faculty at one U.S. dental school. A total of 24 dental school faculty members who had previously written MCQs were randomized into a no-intervention group and an intervention group in 2015. Six previously written MCQs were randomly selected from each of the faculty members and given an item quality score. The intervention group participated in a training session of one-hour duration that focused on reviewing standard item-writing guidelines to improve in-house MCQs. The no-intervention group did not receive any training but did receive encouragement and an explanation of why good MCQ writing was important. The faculty members were then asked to revise their previously written questions, and these were given an item quality score. The item quality scores for each faculty member were averaged, and the difference from pre-training to post-training scores was evaluated. The results showed a significant difference between pre-training and post-training MCQ difference scores for the intervention group (p=0.04). This pilot study provides evidence that the training session of short duration was effective in improving the quality of in-house MCQs.

Impact of Faculty Development Workshops in Student-Centered Teaching Methodologies on Faculty Members' Teaching and Their Students' Perceptions.

The aim of this study was to assess, after one year, the impact of faculty development in teaching and learning skills focused on a learner-centered approach on faculty members' perceptions of and approaches to teaching and on their students' learning experiences and approaches. Before training (2014), all 176 faculty members at a dental school in Chile were invited to complete the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI) to assess their teaching approaches (student- vs. teacher-focused). In 2015, all 496 students were invited to complete the Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) to assess their learning approaches (deep or surface) and the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) to measure their teaching quality perceptions. Subsequently, faculty development workshops on student-centered teaching methodologies were delivered, followed by peer observation. In March 2016, all 176 faculty members and 491 students were invited to complete a second ATI (faculty) and R-SPQ-2 and CEQ (students). Before (2014) and after (2016) the training, 114 (65%) and 116 (66%) faculty members completed the ATI, respectively, and 89 (49%) of the then-181 faculty members completed the perceptions of skills development questionnaire in September 2016. In 2015, 373 students (75%) completed the R-SPQ-2F and CEQ; 412 (83%) completed both questionnaires in 2016. In 2014, the faculty results showed that student-focused teaching was significantly higher in preclinical and clinical courses than in the basic sciences. In 2016, teacher-focused teaching fell significantly; basic science teaching improved the most. Students in both the 2015 and 2016 cohorts had lower mean scores for deep learning approaches from year 1 on, while they increased their scores for surface learning. The students' perceptions of faculty members' good teaching, appropriate assessment, clear goals, and e-learning improved significantly, but perception of appropriate workload did not. Teaching and learning skills development produced significant gains in student-centered teaching for these faculty members and in some students' perceptions of teaching quality. However, student workload needs to be considered to support deep learning.

Faculty Development for Metro New York City Postdoctoral Dental Program Directors: Delphi Assessment and Program Response.

Faculty development for dental academicians is essential to cultivate a continuous faculty workforce, retain existing faculty members, enhance their teaching skill sets, and remain responsive to changing program requirements and curricular reforms. To maximize the utility of dental faculty development, it is important to systematically assess and address faculty members' perceived training needs. The aims of this study were to determine priority topics among one group of postdoctoral program directors and to translate those topics into faculty development programs as part of Columbia University's Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-sponsored faculty training program for primary care educators. The study was conducted in 2013-16. A Delphi consensus technique was implemented with three sequential surveys of 26 New York City metropolitan area general, pediatric, and public health dentistry residency program directors. On the first survey, the five respondents (19% response rate) identified 31 topics. On the second survey, 17 respondents (response rate 65%) rated the 15 most important topics. In the third and final round, 19 respondents (73% response rate) ranked teaching research methods and teaching literature reviews as the topics of greatest interest. Overall, the responses highlighted needs for faculty development on teaching research methods, motivating trainees, trainee evaluation, and clinical care assessment. Based on these results, a series of six Faculty Forums was developed and implemented for dental educators in the metropolitan area, starting with the topic of teaching research methods. The process flow used for assessing training needs and developing and evaluating training can be applied to a variety of populations of educators.

Self-Perceived Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes, and Use of Evidence-Based Dentistry Among Practitioners Transitioning to Dental Educators.

Dental practitioners transitioning to dental educators (PTEs) have an integral role in dental education. While PTEs intrinsically apply some form of evidence-based dentistry (EBD) in patient care, it may not be a standardized, systematic approach. The aims of this study were to determine the self-perceived knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors of PTEs regarding EBD at one U.S. dental school and to identify areas where formal calibration may be warranted to facilitate their competence and confidence as dental educators. Participants voluntarily completed a 32-question survey regarding their EBD training and self-perceived EBD skills in several areas: use of the clinical evidence pyramid; systematic, objective, and critical appraisal of the evidence; application of the evidence to patient care; and integrating clinical expertise, scientific evidence, and patient's preferences to formulate a treatment plan. The PTEs were invited to participate in the anonymous survey during regularly scheduled calibration sessions held between May and July 2014. After study information was distributed, 100% of the attendees (n=43) completed the survey. The percentage of total PTEs at the school could not be calculated. Of the responding PTEs, 69% rated themselves better than satisfactory (70% proficiency) in their knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding EBD skills application. However, only 33-42% of the respondents indicated that they frequently used the evidence pyramid and systematically, objectively, and critically appraised the evidence, even though 65% indicated they applied the evidence to improve patient care over 70% of the time. In addition, the participating PTEs identified a need for more frequent use of formal EBD skills. Providing case-based EBD projects involving PTEs as mentors may provide more opportunities for the judicious and effective use of these important skills and may improve PTEs' self-perceived confidence.

Faculty professional development in emergent pedagogies for instructional innovation in dental education.

Innovative pedagogies have significantly impacted health professions' education, dental education included. In this context, faculty, defined in this study as instructor in higher education, has been increasingly required to hone their instructional skills. The purpose of this exploratory study was to share the design, implementation and preliminary outcomes of two programmes to enhance dental faculty's instructional skills, the Teaching and Learning Seminar Series and the Course Director Orientation. Data sources included faculty and student surveys developed and administered by the researchers; data extracted from the learning management system; reports from the learning analytics tool; and classroom observations. Participants' satisfaction, self-reported learning, instructional behavioural change, and impact on student learning behaviours and institutional practice were assessed borrowing from Kirkpatrick's 4-level model of evaluation of professional development effectiveness. Initial findings showed that faculty in both programmes reported positive learning experiences. Participants reported that the programmes motivated them to improve instructional practice and improved their knowledge of instructional innovation. Some faculty reported implementation of new instructional strategies and tools, which helped create an active and interactive learning environment that was welcomed by their students. The study contributes to literature and best practice in health sciences faculty development in pedagogy and may guide other dental schools in designing professional development programmes.

A Training Program Using an Audience Response System to Calibrate Dental Faculty Members Assessing Student Clinical Competence.

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of calibration training of departmental faculty and competency graders using an audience response system on operative dentistry concepts across 12 months. The training sessions were designed to further solidify the process and equilibration of clinical opinions among faculty members and provide a more calibrated grading assessment during patient care for student performance feedback. Four (quarterly) calibration sessions occurred over 12 months in 2015. The first session was considered the baseline (control value) for this study. Pre- and post-calibration interrater agreement was assessed. Additionally, a pre and post assessment with ten Likert-scale questions was used to measure students' perceptions of instructional consistency. The results showed that a statistically significant increase in conceptual knowledge scores occurred for both departmental faculty members and competency graders across each of the four sessions (one-factor ANOVA; p<0.05). Interrater reliability agreement also significantly improved for both department faculty members and competency graders' clinical assessments over 12 months of implementation (Cohen's Kappa; p<0.05). There was a statistically significant increase in positive student perceptions on all ten questions (dependent t-test; p<0.05). Implementation of an audience response system for departmental and competency graders was found to be effective in facilitating a discussion forum, calibrating clinical assessments, and improving student perceptions. The positive results from this study support the value of dental schools' introducing faculty development programs to ensure consistent instruction for assessing dental student competence.