title: i.lect, a pre-graduate education model of implantology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In 2008, a consensus meeting of the Association for Dental Education in Europe stated that dental implant treatment represents a popular treatment alternative and, therefore, it should be an integral part of dental student pre-graduate education. In 2009, the Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen-Nuremberg implemented a voluntary, structured, education program for pre-graduate dental students, called 'i.lect'. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the i.lect program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Concurrent to the dental curriculum, the i.lect program provides 200 hours in 3 years of theoretical and practical education on all aspects of modern dental implantology. We recruited dental students in the i.lect program and additionally students from 15 other universities that voluntarily participated in a single, 3-day implantology camp (R = 58). To demonstrate their knowledge on dental implant issues, both student groups completed a written examination that covered 'Basic information and materials of implantology', 'Implant planning' and 'Soft tissue management'.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The students in the i.lect program achieved higher scores than students from the implantology camp on questions concerning 'basic implantology' and 'implant planning'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that the structured i.lect undergraduate curriculum enhanced individual knowledge in the specific field of implantology. This program could have pilot character for use in other universities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen - Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany. tobias.moest@uk-erlangen.de
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Möst
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eitner
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Neukam
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nonhof
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kreuzwieser
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vollmer
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Schlegel
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D003757:Dental Implantation / Q000193:education*; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational