title: Students' clinical learning in an emerging dental school: an investigation in international collaboration between Michigan and Ghana.
abstract: The dearth of dental faculty members is a widely known problem that is exacerbated in countries that are attempting to begin dental education programs. This collaboration between Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Michigan investigated if dental students who have just started their clinical dental education can learn the knowledge and skills required for identifying and restoring cavitated caries lesions through compact course delivery. There were three instructional blocks: 1) didactic seminar; 2) seminar, simulated hands-on skills instruction, and clinical observation/assisting with treatment of schoolchildren; and 3) seminar, simulated skills training, and application to schoolchildren. Each dental student completed a questionnaire measuring knowledge and perceptions of knowledge, experience, and confidence at five points in time. The dental students' knowledge increased significantly as well as their perceived knowledge, experience, and confidence (p<0.0001). In general, the students showed proficiency in delivering simple treatments. The project showed that an integrated compact course delivery model may assist emerging dental schools to cope with the challenging shortage of resident faculty members.
authors: School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, D-2391, 1011 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;. mcpete@umich.edu.
authors: Mathilde C
authors: MC
authors: Peters
authors: Francis
authors: F
authors: Adu-Ababio
authors: Nejay P
authors: NP
authors: Jarrett-Ananaba
authors: Lynn A
authors: LA
authors: Johnson
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003149:Community Dentistry / Q000193:education; D003479:Curriculum; D057087:Dental Atraumatic Restorative Treatment; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D003814:Dentistry, Operative / Q000193:education; D004497:Education, Dental; D004521:Educational Measurement; D055094:Evidence-Based Dentistry / Q000193:education; D005179:Faculty, Dental; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007391:International Cooperation; D007858:Learning; D008824:Michigan; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012575:Schools, Dental; D012649:Self Concept; D013335:Students, Dental; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods
keywords: Ghana; clinical education; dental caries; dental education; international cooperation