Analysis of satisfaction levels and perceptions of clinical competency: a mixed method study on objective structured clinical examinations in undergraduate dental students.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the satisfaction levels, perceptions of developing clinical competencies through objective structured clinical examination and to explore the experiences, challenges, and suggestions of undergraduate dental students. METHODS: The study adopted a mixed-method convergent design. Quantitative data were collected from 303 participants through surveys, evaluating satisfaction levels with objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Additionally, qualitative insights were gathered through student focus group interviews, fundamental themes were developed from diverse expressions on various aspects of OSCE assessments. The Chi-Square tests, was performed to assess associations between variables. Data integration involved comparing and contrasting quantitative and qualitative findings to derive comprehensive conclusions. RESULTS: The satisfaction rates include 69.4% for the organization of OSCE stations and 57.4% for overall effectiveness. However, a crucial challenge was identified, with only 36.7% of students receiving adequate post-OSCE feedback. Furthermore, a majority of students (50%) expressed concerns about the clinical relevance of OSCEs. The study showed a significant associations (p < 0.05) between satisfaction levels and years of study as well as previous OSCE experience. Student focus group interviews revealed diverse perspectives on OSCE assessments. While students appreciate the helpfulness of OSCEs, concerns were raised regarding time constraints, stress, examiner training, and the perceived lack of clinical relevance. CONCLUSION: The students anticipated concerns about the clinical relevance of OSCEs, highlighting the need for a more aligned assessment approach. Diverse perspectives on OSCE assessments reveal perceived helpfulness alongside challenges such as lack of feedback, examiner training, time constraints, and mental stress.

The periodontal senior case clinical challenge: Students' opinions of a formative virtual assessment during the COVID-19 emergency.

INTRODUCTION: Due to COVID-19, innovative, virtual educational methods are being developed to provide students with learning experiences comparable to established clinical practices. Our objective was to produce the Periodontal Senior Case Clinical Challenge (PSCCC) that would provide fourth-year students an alternative for senior case presentations and would be a formative assessment for which student opinions would be provided and analysed. The PSCCC would utilise an online, case-based, written, clinical assessment and follow-up, structured discussion to challenge students to demonstrate ability to apply didactic periodontal knowledge to patient-based experiences. We hypothesised the PSCCC would provide effective learning and a formative assessment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Relevant didactic resources were distributed to 48 students for independent review. The PSCCC was delivered in two sections, (1) a case-based assessment via a virtual classroom with written student responses, and (2) oral discussions conducted via virtual meetings that were moderated and assessed by ten periodontists, with the collaboration of nine residents. A voluntary six-statement survey was used to evaluate the students' opinions of the PSCCC. The scores for 75% (36/48) of students who participated were evaluated for statistical and clinical importance. RESULTS: The value of our PSCCC was supported by 91.7% (33/36) of the analyses (p < .0008). DISCUSSION: The PSCCC was a successful alternative pathway to assess students' clinical and didactic integrated knowledge in periodontics. It provided a unified vision of treatment of the selected case, building on all aspects of the students' periodontal education whilst allowing interaction in a simultaneous, three-tiered educational approach, involving dental students, periodontal residents and faculty. CONCLUSION: In support of our hypothesis, for each of the 6 statements, ≥94.44% (34/36) of the scores given by the students were considered exceptionally strong clinical support for our pedagogical strategy that combines educational resources and can be successfully implemented in other programmes.

Day one core competencies in veterinary dentistry.

This article describes the core competencies recommended for inclusion in the veterinary curriculum for all veterinary graduates based on the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges Competency-Based Veterinary Education document. General practice companion animal veterinarians are frequently presented with patients having dental, oral, or maxillofacial pathology, and veterinary graduates will be relied upon for recommendations for the maintenance of oral health, including the prevention of periodontal disease, identification of endodontic disease, and knowledge of developmental defects. These recommendations should be made for all veterinary patients starting at a young age. These core competencies can apply to many companion species, but mainly are focused on the dog and cat. Because periodontal disease is the most common abnormality observed in dogs and cats, the first key step is taking a few seconds during examination of every patient of any age presented for any reason to examine the oral cavity. Although dental, oral, and maxillofacial pathology is often diagnosed after imaging and evaluation under anesthesia, the first step is observation of dentition and gingivae during the conscious exam to assess periodontal health status. The physical exam of the oral cavity may reveal oral behavior (eg, observation of uncomplicated crown fractures due to chewing on hard objects), which will permit recommendations for enhanced prevention by daily oral hygiene or professional treatment. There are now many involved dental and surgical treatments available, some of which require specialist-level instrumentation and expertise. General practitioners should be able to competently perform the following immediately upon graduation from veterinary school: For patients for whom the owner's reason for the veterinary visit is not dental, oral, or maxillofacial disease, obtain a brief (1 or 2 questions) history of the oral health of the patient. On lifting the lip of every patient, recognize presence or absence of accumulated dental plaque or calculus on the crowns of the teeth, presence or absence of gingival inflammation or ulceration, and presence or absence of other dental, oral, and maxillofacial pathology. On anesthetized patients that have dental, oral, and maxillofacial pathology for which professional treatment is indicated, be able to obtain and interpret appropriately positioned and exposed dental radiographs. When the presence of dental, oral, and maxillofacial pathology is recognized, determine whether each tooth present in the mouth does or does not require professional treatment beyond dental subgingival and supragingival scaling and polishing. List the indications for tooth extraction, know indications for potential oral/dental treatments beyond subgingival and supragingival scaling and polishing or extraction, and determine whether the professional treatment that may be indicated, such as root canal treatment or mass resection of oral tissues, requires referral for specialist-level expertise and instrumentation. Complete a thorough periodontal evaluation and therapy with periodontal probing, including professional subgingival and supragingival ultrasonic scaling with polishing under anesthesia. Demonstrate the ability to extract teeth indicated for extraction, using gentle and appropriate techniques that will risk minimal injury to the jaws and oral soft tissues and reduce postoperative patient pain. Provide appropriate postoperative care, including recognition of when postoperative analgesia and possibly antibiotic administration are indicated.

Perception of Realism and Acquisition of Clinical Skills in Simulated Pediatric Dentistry Scenarios.

Simulation, depending on the modality and fidelity of the scenarios, is an important resource for clinical teaching and achievement of learning outcomes in dentistry. The objectives of this study were to compare the degree of realism perceived by students and teachers in a simulated scenario, and to assess the level of competence acquired by the students. METHOD: In the Pediatric Dentistry course, eight clinical scenarios were carried out, each one using a modified Erler Zimmer child simulator (handmade), a professional actress and two students (dentist and assistant) on the same pediatric dentistry case consisting of a pulp abscess in tooth 8.5. A total of 114 students in the 4th year of dentistry studies participated in the pediatric dentistry course. Questionnaires with Likert-type answers were elaborated to evaluate the educational intervention, applying them before and after the simulation. RESULTS: The realism best valued by the students was that of the simulated participant and the worst that of the manikin, the latter being strongly related to the realism of the office. It was observed that students' perception of clinical competence increased as the overall realism of the scenario increased (p-value = 0.00576). CONCLUSION: This research suggests that the creation of scenarios using handmade mannequins and simulated participants achieves a high level of realism, increasing the level of clinical competence perceived by dental students.

Ten years of interfaculty pain curriculum at the University of Toronto: impact on student learning.

INTRODUCTION: Delivery of interprofessional pain education for prelicensure healthcare professionals is strongly recommended to advance a workforce ready for collaborative practice and to improve the quality and outcomes of pain care. OBJECTIVES: We report a 10-year (2009-2019) longitudinal evaluation of a 20-hour undergraduate Interfaculty Pain Curriculum (IPC) delivered to students in the Faculties of Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Medicine (also including the Departments of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physician Assistant) at the University of Toronto, Canada. The IPC follows a constructivist approach to facilitate interactive and multifaceted learning. METHODS: Evaluation methods based on the Kirkpatrick model were used to appraise changes in participating students' pain knowledge and beliefs and their ability to collaboratively develop an interprofessional pain management plan. RESULTS: A total of 10,693 students participated over the 10-year study period. The mean annual attendance was 972 students and participation to the program increased significantly over the years. Overall, the IPC was effective in improving students' mean pain knowledge and beliefs scores; however, the mean knowledge score gains were negatively correlated with time, likely related to increased uniprofessional pain education. Although an increasing trend in mean interprofessional pain management plan scores was observed, the scores were not significantly correlated with time. CONCLUSIONS: The interactive and multifaceted IPC is consistently effective in improving knowledge and beliefs and interprofessional pain management care plan development among participating student cohorts. Future inquiry is required to better understand the mechanisms behind student learning in interprofessional pain education to enhance pain curriculum development and delivery.

Transition to a Competency-informed Dental Hygiene Clinical Evaluation System.

Purpose: Competency-informed clinical education includes rigorous and specific performance outcomes with an emphasis on demonstrated outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess faculty and dental hygiene (DH) student perceptions and elicit feedback regarding the transition to a competency-informed clinical evaluation model in the DH program at the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry for the purpose of continuous quality improvement.Methods: A mixed-methods approach was utilized to survey senior DH student (n = 36) and clinical DH faculty (n = 15) during the 2018 -19 academic year. Cohort-specific surveys included demographics, Likert-scale questions, and open-ended questions to gauge perceptions of the new system. Two debriefing sessions were held, one for faculty and one for students, to provide open feedback and expand discussions. Survey responses were compared using descriptive statistics. Open-ended responses and debriefing comments were reviewed to identify common themes.Results: All senior DH students (n=36) and two-thirds of the faculty (67%, n=10) completed the survey. Findings revealed an overall preference to the new evaluation system and indicated that it was a more accurate reflection of clinical performance. Open-ended and debriefing comments revealed an increased quantity and quality of faculty feedback with an emphasis on patient-centered care, rather than a grade-based focus. Students reported decreased stress levels regarding asking clinical care questions and grade outcomes. While improvement in faculty calibration was reported, students also noted a need for continued calibration.Conclusion: Surveys and debriefing sessions revealed areas of strengths and challenges in a competency-informed clinical evaluation system. Transitioning to a competency-based system provided an environment that is conducive to learning and patient-centered care rather than focused on grades.

Formación de la capacidad clínica de diagnóstico en los futuros odontólogos a través del entorno virtual Moodle

Como consecuencia de la emergencia sanitaria de la COVID-19, la enseñanza académica se reformuló y generó que la educación asumiera la virtualidad como espacio para generar aprendizajes y desarrollar las capacidades clínicas. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la relación que existe entre el uso del entorno virtual Moodle y el desarrollo de la capacidad clínica de diagnóstico en estudiantes de Odontología en una Universidad privada de Cusco, Perú. Se realizó un estudio analítico de corte transversal con una población de 215 estudiantes y una muestra a 139 estudiantes de Odontología, que cursaban el área de clínica, seleccionados mediante un muestreo no probabilístico por conveniencia; los datos se recolectaron mediante un formulario Google. Como resultados se obtuvo que los estudiantes de la muestra tienen entre 19 a 40 años de edad y predomina el sexo femenino. El 56,8 % usa el entorno virtual Moodle de manera eficiente y el 40,3 % regularmente. El 62,6 % logró desarrollar, medianamente, la capacidad clínica de diagnóstico y el 25,2 % en un nivel alto. En cuanto a la relación del uso del entorno virtual Moodle y el desarrollo de la capacidad clínica de diagnóstico, los resultados muestran valores de p = 0,001 y Rho = 0,280. Se concluye que existe una correlación positiva y se comprueba la asociación establecida en el objetivo del estudio.

As a consequence of the COVID-19 health emergency, academic teaching was reformulated and caused education to assume virtuality as a space to generate learning and develop clinical capabilities. The objective of the study was to determine the existing relationship between the use of Moodle virtual environment and the development of clinical diagnostic capacity in Dentistry students at a private University in Cusco, Peru. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out with a population of 215 students and a sample of 139 Dentistry students, who were studying the clinical area, selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Data was collected using a Google form. As results, it was obtained that the students in the sample are between 19 and 40 years old and the female sex predominates. 56.8% use the Moodle virtual environment efficiently and 40.3% regularly. 62.6% managed to develop, moderately, the clinical diagnostic capacity and 25.2% at a high level. Regarding the relationship between the use of Moodle virtual environment and the development of clinical diagnostic capacity, the results show values of p = 0.001 and Rho = 0.280. It is concluded that there is a positive correlation and the association established in the objective of the study is verified.