Dean's Welcome

August 2007 -- When I look back on my days as a dental student some 30 years ago, I can still connect to those fears of disappointing a much-admired professor or frustrations of not being able to master a procedure as quickly as I thought I should.

I give these dedicated dental educators – my professors – a lot of credit for impressing upon me just how critical it was that I have a full understanding of the diagnoses, procedures and research that would have a direct impact on my ability to one day advance patients’ oral health.

In my role as dean of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, I often consider how we can most effectively impart the seriousness of learning how to properly care for another’s oral health while eliminating a bit of that fear or frustration in the educational process. Two words come to my mind, repetition and mentorship.

As a dental student, I always looked forward to that day when I would make a difference as a dental practitioner. This would be after I graduated, when my friends and I could finally greet each other and our professors as colleagues.

Dental education and curricula have changed since the 1970s, and one of the changes is that students are much more inclined than ever before to view themselves as colleagues within the dental profession while they are in dental school. As dental educators, we do all we can at the School of Dentistry to encourage students’ more inclusive idea of their role within our learning environment. After all, our dental hygiene, dental assisting, graduate and DDS students are making enduring contributions to the life of the School of Dentistry in many ways: leading community education efforts, providing patient care, organizing events to highlight awareness of oral health and other issues and contributing to research efforts, to name a few.   

Our School of Dentistry embarked on a major DDS curriculum revision earlier this year, and this dynamic process is offering me many opportunities to talk with students, faculty, staff and alumni about how we, as a community of learners, can best prepare our students to be successful dental practitioners. How can we more fully invest them in their chosen professions while they are at the School of Dentistry? How can we help them develop their leadership skills?

One change, already implemented, is that our minimum clinic attendance requirement has increased from 70 percent to 80 percent for second-, third- and fourth-year DDS students. Sixty percent of this attendance requirement must be within the areas of patient appointments and block rotations. I plan for us to revisit the idea of further attendance increases in the future. Clinical dentistry is best learned through experience, and students must be present to maximize their learning.

Starting with this fall semester, the School of Dentistry is beginning a mentorship program for first-year DDS students. Sixteen faculty members have generously volunteered their time to regularly meet and check in with the five or six students assigned to their groups. I will encourage our faculty mentors to address integrity, professionalism, patient care, community service, research, their own professional journey into dentistry and dental education, time management and other topics within these meetings. Through this experience, our new DDS students will begin that crucial first year with even more demonstrated support for their academic success.

During the spring, I appointed Dr. Ed Kanoy to lead a new Workgroup on Clinical Education, and this group is studying the possible role of mentorship for fourth-year DDS students, among other ideas. Dr. Janet Guthmiller, our school’s new associate dean for academic affairs and a nationally recognized leader within dental research mentorship, will direct the curriculum revision.

I am convinced that structured mentorship will be very influential as a measure for increased student success. So that brings me to that second word: repetition.

No DDS class year is potentially more valuable in developing confidence and competence for our students than the fourth year of dental education. I truly believe we can do more to make the most of our fourth-year DDS students’ time to practice – over and over – key diagnostic and treatment techniques under the careful guidance of faculty members.

These are a few of the ideas we are exploring as a school community in the process of a curriculum revision, and I’m very optimistic about what this process will give our already robust learning environment. What we gain through this process will be valuable information as we seek to also strengthen dental assisting, dental hygiene and graduate education.

As always, I encourage your thoughts on these issues that are central to our mission of promoting the oral health of the people of North Carolina through excellence in teaching, patient care, research and service. The new academic year offers promise and possibility to all of us who work and learn within the School of Dentistry. I know we will have a great year.