WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new study published in the latest issue of the American Dental Education Association’s (ADEA) scholarly publication, the Journal of Dental Education (JDE) explores students’ descriptions and reflections on day-to-day interactions with diverse patient populations in a clinical setting.
“Dental Students’ Reflections on Their Experiences with a Diverse Patient Population,” by Kristen Zakariasen Victoroff, D.D.S., Ph.D., Associate Dean for Education and Associate Professor in the Department of Community Dentistry at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, and co-authors, compiled the findings of 66 third-year students enrolled in the Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) program at Case Western University School of Dental Medicine. The students were volunteers who had participated in a cultural competence curriculum during their first two years of the D.M.D. program. They were asked to write a paper reflecting on their experiences working with a diverse population in the general dental clinic of the school as part of a third-year behavioral sciences course.
“We went with this approach because it provided us with an opportunity to collect data with a depth not usually available from survey data,” explains Dr. Victoroff. “We wanted to fully understand the thoughts, feelings and experiences of the participants.”
Major themes found in the students’ reflections included: the development of cultural awareness, a desire to establish rapport and the value of experience. Students also cited specific challenges, such as differences in prioritizing oral health, trust, communication challenges and the need for additional cultural knowledge and understanding.
The reflections in the study showed that the dental school clinical setting offers multiple opportunities for students to gain experience in interpersonal communication with a diverse patient population. A greater understanding of these experiences can provide insights for dental educators responsible for developing a cultural competence curriculum.
“Writing these reflections helped the students understand how their similarities and differences with their patients can shape their interactions and future relationships,” says Kristin A. Williams, D.D.S., M.P.H., article co-author and Assistant Professor of the Department of Community Dentistry at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine. “The reflections also provided students with opportunities to evaluate how their upbringing and backgrounds shaped how they are as health care providers.”
Access the full article at www.jdentaled.org. To learn more about the ADEA Journal of Dental Education, visit www.adea.org/jde.
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About the American Dental Education Association
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is the voice of dental education. Its members include all U.S. and Canadian dental schools and many allied and advanced dental education programs, corporations, faculty, and students. The mission of ADEA is to lead individuals and institutions of the dental education community to address contemporary issues influencing education, research, and the delivery of oral health care for the health of the public. ADEA’s activities encompass a wide range of research, advocacy, faculty development, meetings, and communications like the esteemed Journal of Dental Education, as well as the dental school admissions services AADSAS, PASS, DHCAS, and CAAPID. For more information about ADEA, visit www.adea.org.
