A tool for assessing cultural competence training in dental education.

Policies exist to promote fairness and equal access to opportunities and services that address basic human needs of all U.S. citizens. Nonetheless, health disparities continue to persist among certain subpopulations, including those of racial, ethnic, geographic, socioeconomic, and other cultural identity groups. The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) has added standards to address this concern. According to the most recent standards, adopted in 2010 for implementation in July 2013, CODA stipulates that "students should learn about factors and practices associated with disparities in health." Thus, it is imperative that dental schools develop strategies to comply with this addition. One key strategy for compliance is the inclusion of cultural competence training in the dental curriculum. A survey, the Dental Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training (D-TACCT), based on the Association of American Medical Colleges' Tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training (TACCT), was sent to the academic deans at seventy-one U.S. and Canadian dental schools to determine best practices for cultural competence training. The survey was completed by thirty-seven individuals, for a 52 percent response rate. This article describes the use of this survey as a guide for developing culturally competent strategies and enhancing cultural competence training in dental schools.

Designing an orientation program for new faculty.

The Faculty Development Committee (FDC) at Baylor College of Dentistry (BCD) is charged with providing programs and activities that facilitate the success of existing faculty in the constantly changing environment of academia. In response to concerns regarding the challenges wrought by current and projected shortages of dental faculty across the nation, the FDC was prompted to assess development opportunities available to BCD faculty. A professional development resource that we found deficient was a formal, comprehensive orientation program for newly hired faculty. To guide the efforts of the committee in developing this program, a survey was designed and administered during an annual faculty retreat. Respondents were new and junior faculty, senior faculty, and some administrators. The results of the survey to determine requirements for new faculty orientation became the basis for formalizing BCD's new faculty orientation program. This article provides an overview of the new faculty orientation process from design to program implementation and describes the development and use of a faculty survey to determine the fundamental elements of a faculty development program, identification of essential individuals for designing/implementing the program, and implementation of a new faculty orientation program at BCD.

Is dentistry at risk? A case for interprofessional education.

The goal of interprofessional education (IPE) is to bring various professional groups together in the educational environment to promote collaborative practice and improve the health care of patients. Interest in IPE has been sparked by several factors in the health care system, including the increased awareness of oral-systemic connections, an aging population, the shift of the burden of illness from acute to chronic care, and lack of access to basic oral care. Increasingly, since the publication of the U.S. surgeon general's report in 2000, the dialogue surrounding IPE in dentistry has escalated. But how has dentistry changed regarding IPE since the report was released? This position paper argues that little has changed in the way dental students are taught and prepared to participate in IPE. The authors contend that academic dentistry and organized dentistry must take the lead in initiating and demanding IPE if dental students are to be prepared to work in the health care environment of the twenty-first century. Included are reasons why IPE is necessary and why dentistry must lead the conversation and participate in the solution to the oral health care crisis. It explores existing models and alternate approaches to IPE, barriers to implementation, and proposed strategies for academic institutions.

Use of computer technology to modify objective structured clinical examinations.

Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are multistationed clinical examinations that have been shown to be effective in testing students' ability to integrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired during their preclinical and clinical training and experiences. The original OSCE for the third-year Preventive Dentistry course at Baylor College of Dentistry was based on the traditional format consisting of four sections of twelve stations with a group of twelve students rotating through each of the sections simultaneously. This arrangement allowed for examination of one-half of the class. The other half of the class took the exam on an alternate date. To reduce the disruption caused by the students' moving from station to station and to allow for examination of the entire class in one setting, the traditional concept was modified using computer technology, and the twelve stations "moved" via a PowerPoint presentation while students remained stationary. Questions on both exams provided a means for testing data interpretation, diagnostic skills, and, to some extent, interpersonal skills. The overall atmosphere during the computer-based examination was less chaotic. Each student received identical instructions, explanations, and time allotments to respond to the information presented. The ratio of faculty to students required to monitor the exam was less than required for the traditional format. Additionally, since there was no need to allow time for student transition, the total time required to administer the exam was reduced. Thus, objective assessment of the entire class was accomplished using fewer faculty members and less class time and with less disruption for the students.