ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: To work in the National Health Service (NHS) as a dentist, the practitioner needs to be on the UK dental "performer's list". To apply for access to this list and work as a General Dental Practitioner (GDP), dentists must be qualified from the European Economic Area (EEA) or, those trained in the UK, must undertake Dental Foundation Training (DFT). Dentists interested in further taught learning or pursuing specialist training must continue working as "Dental Core Trainees" (DCTs). Most of these jobs are available in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) Units and require dentists to undertake unsupervised surgical procedures. It is currently estimated that over 400 "junior dentists" undertake DCT a year. It is the aim of this study to ascertain whether confidence in simple surgical procedures improves when compared to GDPs of similar experience. METHODS: One hundred and two junior dentists, 34 DFTs, 20 DCT1s, 21 DCT2s and 27 second and third year post-DFT GDPs all working across the Midlands, UK, had Likert scale responses about confidence in 14 minor surgical skills assessed. Results were analysed to ascertain whether gender, year group and number of extractions had any effect on confidence. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that confidence in minor surgical procedures improves significantly when undertaking DCT OMFS posts, with the most significant improvement in confidence occurring within the first 6 months. Dental Core Trainees become significantly more confident in their surgical ability within the first 6 months when compared to GDPs with longer postgraduate experience.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Dentists , Minor Surgical Procedures , Surgery, Oral/education , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Internship and Residency , Male , Surveys and Questionnaires , United KingdomABSTRACT
We used an Arabic translation (revised in our college) of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) inventory to assess the educational environment at the College of Medicine in King Saud University, Riyadh. Over 500 questionnaires were distributed and 222 were analysed. Scores were: 45.0% overall; 40.7% for students' perception of learning, 48.2% for perception of teachers, 46.3% for academic self-perception, 44.4% for perception of atmosphere, and 46.1% for social self-perception. Scores for first year students were significantly higher than the others. Scores for pre-clinical students were also significantly higher than those of students in clinical years. Sex was not a statistically significant variable.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Needs Assessment/organization & administration , Schools, Medical/organization & administration , Self Concept , Social Environment , Students, Medical/psychology , Analysis of Variance , Curriculum , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/organization & administration , Faculty, Medical/standards , Female , Humans , Interprofessional Relations , Male , Organizational Culture , Saudi Arabia , Sex Factors , Social Behavior , Surveys and Questionnaires , Universities/organization & administrationABSTRACT
We used an Arabic translation [revised in our college] of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure [DREEM] inventory to assess the educational environment at the College of Medicine in King Saud University, Riyadh. Over 500 questionnaires were distributed and 222 were analysed. Scores were: 45.0% overall; 40.7% for students' perception of learning, 48.2% for perception of teachers, 46.3% for academic self-perception, 44.4% for perception of atmosphere, and 46.1% for social self-perception. Scores for first year students were significantly higher than the others. Scores for pre-clinical students were also significantly higher than those of students in clinical years. Sex was not a statistically significant variable
