A dental practice placement scheme: benefits for practitioners and undergraduates.
OBJECTIVE
To report the feedback from general dental practitioners (GDPs) and dental undergraduates who participated in a general dental practice placement scheme.


METHODS
Subjects All 61 students in a year made 2 to 3 full day visits, individually or in pairs, to 44 general dental practices allocated to them. Thirty four GDPs completed and returned the questionnaire, representing a response rate of 77%. Data collection Formal feedback from the students and GDPs were obtained through 6 structured seminar sessions and a postal questionnaire respectively. Analysis Sifting, indexing and charting the data according to key issues and themes.


RESULTS
All 61 students attended the feedback sessions, 34 GDPs (response rate 77%) returned the questionnaire. The two most common themes that students reported having gained insight into were personal/professional development and practice management. The common positive aspects reported by the GDPs included exposure to the General Dental Service (GDS), motivation for undergraduate training and benefits for GDPs. These benefits included encouragement for the GDPs to reflect critically on their clinical practice, focus on their practice facilities and management, and stay in touch with developments in dental education. Through their visits and assignments, students gained skills in observation, interviewing, communication, relation-building and report writing.


CONCLUSIONS
Placements of dental undergraduates in general dental practices enable students to gain insight into the GDS, develop key transferable skills and undergo professional socialisation. They are also beneficial and enjoyable for the GDPs who participated.
Pau
A K
AK
Department of Adult Oral Health, St Bartholomew's and The Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London, Turner Street, London E1 2AD, United Kingdom. A.K.Pau@mds.qmw.ac.uk
Croucher
R
R
D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003792:Dental Records; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D004497:Education, Dental; D005246:Feedback; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008131:London; D009042:Motivation; D011215:Practice Management, Dental; D011231:Preceptorship; D011364:Professional Practice; D013335:Students, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires