Open meeting of the Commission on Dental Education. 'What went wrong with my dental education?' A look back at the undergraduate course.
In this paper, my own undergraduate course from 1961 to 1966 at Guy's Hospital, London, is described and the merits and shortcomings of this course discussed. Subsequent alterations and future improvements to the course are considered. The various teaching methods are appraised and a closer relationship between the preclinical and clinical parts of the course is advocated. The introduction to clinical procedures and the block system of clinical teaching is considered. The overemphasis of the repetitive performance of simple clinical procedures and the time taken up doing laboratory work is criticized. The teaching of general anaesthetic administration with its lack of instruction in resuscitation and other emergency measures is deplored and the removal of this from the undergraduate course is suggested. The increasing importance attached to preventive dentistry is welcomed and the unique experience in preliminary diagnosis afforded by a dental casualty department is commended. Examination techniques are discussed and a compromise between external examination and continuous internal assessment is suggested. In conclusion, the importance of the evaluation of the course in totality is stressed, so that the overall development of the student into a self-reliant, responsible and ethical professional can be assessed. The necessity of frequent review and amendment of the curriculum is advocated if it is to remain relevant to the changing requirements of dental practice.
D004497:Education, Dental; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D006113:United Kingdom