PMID- 12449210
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20021219
LR  - 20061115
IS  - 0022-0337 (Print)
IS  - 0022-0337 (Linking)
VI  - 66
IP  - 10
DP  - 2002 Oct
TI  - Preclinical restorative training.
PG  - 1159-62
AB  - In conjunction with its problem-based learning curriculum, Harvard School of 
      Dental Medicine (HSDM) developed a shortened preclinical restorative training 
      curriculum. This study compared our curriculum with those in other dental schools 
      and examined student reaction to it. Twenty-nine U.S. dental schools responded to 
      a survey regarding the length of their preclinical course in Operative Dentistry. 
      Nationally, preclinical courses ranged from 179 hours to 280 hours (mean +/- SEM 
      = 193 +/- 9 hours; n = 29). In marked contrast, the new seventy-five-hour 
      preclinical curriculum at Harvard was the lowest of any school, and significantly 
      lower than the U.S. average (p < 0.01). In Harvard's previous curriculum, 
      students spent 232 curriculum hours. Reactions of Harvard students to this 
      compact preclinical curriculum were surveyed using a three-topic, three-category 
      survey instrument. Results indicated that, prior to beginning clinical patient 
      care, approximately 80 percent of students felt that the course was too short and 
      20 percent just right. Conversely, and retrospectively, after completing their 
      dental school training, only 35 percent felt it was too short, and 65 percent 
      felt it was just right. Retrospectively, in terms of clinical preparedness, 55 
      percent felt adequately prepared and 35 percent felt well prepared to treat their 
      patients. No significant change was noted between Part II National Board scores 
      following the change to the reduced curricula time. The average National Board 
      Part II scores prior to initiating the new curriculum was 86.3, and afterwards, 
      it was 86.2. Further, for the North East Regional Board, HSDM students in the 
      past four years demonstrated a 98 percent overall success rate with 100 percent 
      primary pass in the operative dentistry part of the examination. These results 
      suggest that an abbreviated preclinical training is not only possible, but may 
      make time available for training opportunities in other areas, such as aesthetic 
      dental procedures and new biomaterials.
FAU - Ferguson, Michael B
AU  - Ferguson MB
AD  - Office of Dental Education, Restorative Department, Harvard School of Dental 
      Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA. michael_ferguson@hsdm.harvard.edu
FAU - Sobel, Morton
AU  - Sobel M
FAU - Niederman, Richard
AU  - Niederman R
LA  - eng
PT  - Comparative Study
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - United States
TA  - J Dent Educ
JT  - Journal of dental education
JID - 8000150
SB  - IM
MH  - Attitude
MH  - Boston
MH  - Clinical Competence
MH  - Curriculum
MH  - *Dental Restoration, Permanent
MH  - Dentistry, Operative/*education
MH  - *Education, Dental
MH  - Educational Measurement
MH  - Humans
MH  - Problem-Based Learning
MH  - Prospective Studies
MH  - Retrospective Studies
MH  - Schools, Dental
MH  - Students, Dental
MH  - Time Factors
MH  - United States
EDAT- 2002/11/27 04:00
MHDA- 2002/12/20 04:00
CRDT- 2002/11/27 04:00
PHST- 2002/11/27 04:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2002/12/20 04:00 [medline]
PHST- 2002/11/27 04:00 [entrez]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Dent Educ. 2002 Oct;66(10):1159-62.