Student support services: Perceptions and recommendations for the next generation.

PURPOSE: Student support services/student affairs are central to the student academic experience and success at US and Canadian dental schools. This manuscript evaluates student and administrator perceptions of support services and offers recommendations for best practices in student services in predoctoral dental education to help institutions improve the student experience. METHODS: A survey of administrators and dental students found perceptions of student support services vary between these groups. RESULTS: Seventeen student services administrators and 263 students started the survey, and 12 administrators and 156 students completed the full survey. Survey comments indicated access to student support services is a concern. Results of the student survey, in conjunction with current literature, were utilized to develop recommendations for dental student support services. CONCLUSION: Recommendations for student support services in dental schools include accessibility of student services, and ensuring students have access to support in the domains of wellness, academic support, and peer support as well as implementation of humanistic practices. Wellness supports should include behavioral health services, physical health services, and access to mindfulness interventions. Academic support services should include study skills, time management training, and academic supports such as tutoring. Structured peer support programs should also be implemented. Dental schools should also be mindful of the changing support needs of incoming dental students.

Men of color in the health professions: Proceedings from the 2022 ADEA Men of Color in the Health Professions Summit.

The purpose of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Men of Color in the Health Professions Summit, held in August 2022 at ADEA's headquarters in Washington, DC, was to gather key thought leaders across a myriad of health professions and healthcare organizations and schools to cultivate intentional cross-disciplinary efforts in championing the need to address the low number of men of color entering not only dental, but also medicine, pharmacy, and health-related research careers. A pivotal follow-up step from the inaugural ADEA President's Symposium on Men of Color in the Health Professions at the March 2022 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition in Philadelphia, the summit brought together academic health professions leaders, government agencies, health professions associations, and other key stakeholders to develop an action plan to support men of color entering the health professions. Moving the needle forward and increasing opportunities for underrepresented men of color in the health professions requires all academic health professions to work together. Highlights of the Summit included a keynote presentation by David Satcher, MD, PhD, the 16th Surgeon General of the United States; workgroup consensus statement development; health career pathways program presentations; strategic forecasting regarding challenges and opportunities in developing a coalition of health professions organizations to support men of color in the health professions; and frameworks for exploring coalition building.

Dental student success: The predictive value of first-year grades.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the relationship between first-year grades and cumulative grades at the end of dental school to explore trends in academic performance in the predoctoral dental curriculum. The objective of this research is to provide information to inform student support efforts for predoctoral dental programs. METHODS: Academic records for 156 students who completed their first year (D1) of predoctoral dental education in 2015/2016 were reviewed. The analysis reviews outcomes at the end of D1 and the end of the 4-year curriculum. The outcomes of this study are grade point average (GPA) at the end of the 4-year traditional dental school curriculum, grouped as basic science, preclinical, preclinical laboratory, translational, and clinical. Regression analyses were performed for each outcome. A GPA change of 0.5 was employed to demonstrate change, as it represented half a letter grade. RESULT: The analysis found first-year grades to be related to 4-year academic outcomes. For example, a 0.5-grade point score increase in the first-year basic science GPA was associated with a 0.503 increase in basic science GPA. However, a 0.5-grade point increase in first-year annual GPA was associated with a 0.084 increase in the clinical science GPA. First-year annual GPA was the only significant predictor variable for overall 4-year GPA; a 0.5-grade point increase in the first-year annual GPA was associated with a 0.386 increase in overall GPA. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that academic and personal support in the first year of dental school is paramount in supporting student success in predoctoral dental education.

LGBTQ+ and dental education: Analyzing the present and recommendations for the future.

LGBTQ+ populations constitute increasing proportions of children, adolescents, and adults in the United States. Compared to their heterosexual counterparts, this group suffers from health inequities, including oral health. The report "Oral Health: Advances and Challenges" identified the LGBTQ+ community as an underserved population which faces significant barriers in accessing oral health care. Coverage of LGBTQ+ topics in formal education settings in both dental schools and dental hygiene programs is scarce, which contributes to inequities within this group. Increasing curriculum content related to LGBTQ+ populations is of utmost importance to promote optimal patient-provider interactions while improving oral health outcomes. Ensuring equity in oral health care provision will require deliberate, consistent efforts on the part of all stakeholders. Dental and allied dental education programs have made important strides in enhancing equity and inclusion in their institutions by engaging campus groups that support LGBTQ+ populations, creating mentorship programs, and collaborating with non-profit advocacy groups. Such efforts have successfully empowered LGBTQ+ patients, providers, and allies who are committed to further closing the knowledge gap. Most of the research regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts have been done in the medical arena and there is a void in the data available from the dental profession. To fill this void, recommendations are offered that institutions can easily implement to expand LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion visibility.

Growing future clinicians: Can the seeds of admission data determine success?

PURPOSE: Most students entering dental school have outstanding academic credentials. Despite this, some students face academic difficulties throughout their dental education. The study investigates outcomes at the end of the first-year and the end of the 4-year curriculum. METHODS: This study reviewed data from 177 students in the entering classes of 2015 and 2016. The regression models included 156 students who completed the 4-year curriculum on the traditional timeline. RESULTS: Undergraduate cumulative GPA had a significant association with dental school outcomes in 4-year biomedical science GPA, translational science GPA, and clinical science GPA (increase of 0.31, 0.31, and 0.08 for a one-unit increase in undergraduate GPA). A one-unit increase in DAT was reflected in increased in first-year biomedical science GPA, preclinical science GPA, and cumulative GPA (0.04, 0.06, and 0.10, respectively). Conversely, a one-unit increase in failure or withdrawal from undergraduate courses was associated with decreases in first-year biomedical science GPA, preclinical science GPA, and cumulative GPA (0.08, 0.09, and 0.08, respectively). The only significant relationship for clinical science (patient care) GPA was cumulative undergraduate GPA (0.08 increase per unit). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest students who are extremely strong academically in college will be strong throughout dental school and suggest benefits of targeted services for academically at-risk students. Due to the limited association of admission records to clinical grades, the results support holistic admission processes.

Postbaccalaureate and graduate applicants to dental school: An analysis of holistic review.

Although they are valued for their perceived maturity, resiliency, and diverse insight into dentistry, postbaccalaureate and graduate (PBGR) applicants face significant challenges in the admissions process. This study looks at how PBGR applicants are evaluated during the selection process at a US dental school. An analysis of metrics associated with PBGR applicants was performed, focusing on the demographic makeup, academic performance, and total experience hours compared to traditional applicants. Our results suggest that PBGR applicants who are successful in their postbaccalaureate/graduate course of study are also more likely to be admitted if they have a history of strong undergraduate performance. Our results also suggest that PBGR applicants with high self-disclosed employment hours are strongly considered. Taken together, these results suggest that holistic review has helped PBGR applicants in the admissions process but that further adjustments need to be implemented.

Unintended Demographic Bias in GPA/DAT-Based Pre-Admission Screening: An Argument for Holistic Admissions in Dental Schools.

Screening of applicants for admission to dental school often relies on metrics such as overall undergraduate grade point average (oGPA) and Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores to identify desirable prospective students. The aim of this study was to assess unintended selection bias that may be overlooked or mitigated with holistic review and the influence of metrics at one U.S. dental school. Descriptive range analysis of oGPA and science GPA (sGPA), DAT scores, and total experience hours was performed for the 2017-18 application cycle for all applicants, those who self-identified as underrepresented minorities (URM), non-traditional applicants (with postbaccalaureate or master's coursework), and socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) applicants reporting low parental employment-occupation scores. The results showed that, in screening this school's applicant pool, metrics-based candidate selection would favor those candidates in the 80th percentile of GPA and DAT Academic Average (AA) scores. Unless mitigated by other screening factors, reliance on these metrics tended to favor majority, traditional, and non-URM SED applicants. These findings suggested that the new admitted class would likely have fewer dental experience and employment hours than in the overall applicant pool. Interestingly, more non-traditional, SED, and URM applicants could be considered if higher general employment and dental experience hours had more impact in the screening process. These results illustrate the importance of deliberately considering non-cognitive metrics and characteristics to admit a more diverse student body.

Mandatory Drug Testing of Dental Students: To Test or Not to Test: Viewpoint 1: Drug Testing of Dental Students Should Be Mandatory for the Benefit of Students, Institutions, Patients, and the Profession and Viewpoint 2: Mandatory Drug Testing of Dental Students Carries Costs and Risks for Institutions and Students and Has Unproven Benefits.

An educational institution's decision to test or not test its students for drug use is controversial and complex. Although negative consequences of substance use disorder are well known, the consumption of prohibited substances continues to increase in young adults. Given the awareness of increasing drug use on college campuses and the potential impact on future health care professionals, issues associated with mandatory drug testing of dental students warrant investigation. The purpose of this Point/Counterpoint article is to present opposing viewpoints on whether mandatory student drug testing (MSDT) should be implemented for dental students. Viewpoint 1 affirms that MSDT is legal, ensures public safety, is recognized as a need in health care education, promotes professional and ethical responsibility, and is cost-effective. Viewpoint 2 asserts that MSDT has not been proven to be an effective deterrent for student drug use and it poses risks and costs for both institutions and students, ranging from potential violation of students' civil liberties to the consequences of false positive tests. This article's presentation of the recent literature on both sides of this issue provides dental educators with pertinent information for considering implementation of MSDT in their institutions.

Elements of Undergraduate Education Related to Students' Academic Performance in the First Year of Dental School.

The aim of this study was to improve understanding of predictors of student success in dental school. A total of 178 student records from the Classes of 2015 and 2016 at a U.S. dental school were reviewed for this retrospective study. The records assessed included admissions files with such elements as scores on the Dental Admission Test (DAT), participation in a pipeline program, and undergraduate transcripts; academic records from the first term of dental school (class rank, course remediation, and withdrawal/dismissal from dental school); and National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part I results. The results showed that the DAT Perceptual Ability Test was positively related to performance in the first term of dental school (p=0.030). The DAT Academic Average (p<0.0001) and participation in a pipeline program (p=0.006) were found to be predictors of performance in the lower 25% of the class by end of first term rank. Taking organic chemistry in a summer term during undergraduate study was identified as a predictor variable for dismissal, withdrawal, or entry into a decompressed curriculum (p=0.025). Although this analysis found that traditional predictors of academic success in dental school were associated with strong academic performance in the study sample, it also provided a more complex assessment of factors that may be associated with students who struggle in the first year. As the vast majority of students in this sample successfully completed dental school, the results were not sought to inform admissions criteria, but rather to help academic and student affairs officers identify at-risk students in order to offer timely intervention.

The Effect of Undergraduate Coursework on Students' Performance in the First Year at a U.S. Dental School.

The aim of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between students' academic history and their performance in the first year of dental school, with a focus on academic load in undergraduate education. A total of 174 student records from the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine Classes of 2011 to 2018 were analyzed. These records included students at the top and bottom of each class at the end of their first term of study. Outcomes were broad measures of student success: student continued in curriculum, student withdrew/was dismissed, or student remediated at least one course. In the comparison of the top and bottom ten students across the classes, the following variables were found to be significant: Barron's score of undergraduate institution, undergraduate science GPA, number of failures or withdrawals from science courses during undergraduate education, DAT scores, and underrepresented minority status. The results of this study are not meant to inform the admissions process, but to highlight opportunities for enhancing student services via early identification of students who may benefit from additional academic support while in dental school.

[Peripheral vertigo classification. Consensus document. Otoneurology committee of the Spanish otorhinolaryngology society (2003-2006)]. / Clasificación de los vértigos periféricos. Documento de Consenso de la Comisión de Otoneurología de la Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología (2003-2006).

There are many different vertigo classifications and different denominations are frequently used for the same clinical processes. The Otoneurology Committee of the Spanish Society for Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Pathology proposes an eminently practical classification of peripheral vertigo to facilitate a common terminology that can be easily used by the general ENT practitioners. The methodology used has been by consensus within our Society and especially among the most outstanding work groups in the area of otoneurology in Spain. Initially vertigo is divided into single-episode vertigo and recurring attacks of vertigo, and these are then sub-divided into 2 groups, depending on whether or not hearing loss is present. Acute vertigo without hearing loss corresponds to vestibular neuritis and if it is associated with hearing loss, it is due to labyrinthitis of different aetiologies and cochleo-vestibular neuritis. Recurrent vertigos without hearing loss are classified as induced, either by posture (BPPV) or pressure (perilymphatic fistula), or as spontaneous, including migraine-associated vertigo, metabolic vertigo, childhood paroxysmal vertigo and vertigo of vascular causes (AITs, vertebral-basilar failure). Finally, recurrent vertigo with hearing loss includes Ménière's disease and others such as vertigo-migraine (with hearing loss), autoimmune pathology of the inner ear, syphilitic infection, and perilymphatic fistula (with hearing loss).

Clasificación de los vértigos periféricos. Documento de Consenso de la Comisión de Otoneurología de la Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología (2003-2006) / Peripheral vertigo classification. Consensus document. Otoneurology Committee of the Spanish Otorhinolaryngology Society (2003-2006)

El vértigo puede ser clasificado de muchas formas y es frecuente que existan diferentes denominaciones para los mismos cuadros clínicos. Por este motivo la Comisión de Otoneurología de la Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cérvico-Facial ha propuesto una clasificación clínica de los vértigos periféricos eminentemente práctica y al alcance del otorrinolaringólogo general, que facilite el uso de un lenguaje común. La metodología utilizada ha sido procurar el consenso en el ámbito de nuestra sociedad y especialmente de los grupos de trabajo más destacados en el ámbito de la otoneurología en España. La clasificación inicial divide la patología en vértigos de crisis única y vértigos recidivantes, y a su vez se subdividen en dos grupos con y sin hipoacusia. Los vértigos agudos sin hipoacusia están representados por la neuritis vestibular y los que se asocian a hipoacusia incluyen las laberintitis de diferente etiología y la neuritis cocleovestibular. Los vértigos recurrentes sin hipoacusia se subclasifican en provocados, por la postura (vértigo postural paroxístico benigno) o por la presión (fístulas perilinfáticas) y espontáneos, que incluyen el vértigo asociado a migraña, el metabólico, el paroxístico de la infancia y el de origen vascular (AIT, insuficiencia vertebrobasilar). Finalmente el vértigo recurrente con hipocusia incluye la enfermedad de Ménière y otros como el vértigo-migraña (con hipoacusia), la enfermedad autoinmunitaria del oído interno, neurosífilis-otosífilis y la fístula perilinfática (AU)

There are many different vertigo classifications and different denominations are frequently used for the same clinical processes. The Otoneurology Committee of the Spanish Society for Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Pathology proposes an eminently practical classification of peripheral vertigo to facilitate a common terminology that can be easily used by the general ENT practitioners. The methodology used has been by consensus within our Society and especially among the most outstanding work groups in the area of otoneurology in Spain. Initially vertigo is divided into single-episode vertigo and recurring attacks of vertigo, and these are then sub-divided into 2 groups, depending on whether or not hearing loss is present. Acute vertigo without hearing loss corresponds to vestibular neuritis and if it is associated with hearing loss, it is due to labyrinthitis of different aetiologies and cochleo-vestibular neuritis. Recurrent vertigos without hearing loss are classified as induced, either by posture (BPPV) or pressure (perilymphatic fistula), or as spontaneous, including migraine-associated vertigo, metabolic vertigo, childhood paroxysmal vertigo and vertigo of vascular causes (AITs, vertebral-basilar failure). Finally, recurrent vertigo with hearing loss includes Ménière's disease and others such as vertigo-migraine (with hearing loss), autoimmune pathology of the inner ear, syphilitic infection, and perilymphatic fistula (with hearing loss) (AU)