Assessing ethics and professionalism in dental education.

The foundation for the development of ethical sensitivity and the capacity for reflective reasoning about ethical dilemmas must be established early during professional training. At Indiana University School of Dentistry, two assessment tools, the Dental Ethical Sensitivity Test (DEST) and the Defining Issues Test (DIT) are being employed to help measure student achievement and enhance their skills in this area. Evidence suggests that both small-group discussion and case-based problem solving involving ethical issues improve scores on these measures. It is imperative that opportunities to recognize, analyze, and discuss ethical issues are integrated throughout the dental student's educational program.