From late October through mid-December, ADEA held meetings on a wide range of important issues and topics. This page and the next feature reports on several of them. In addition, the “From the Student’s Mouth” column presents a report from a student’s perspective on the Joint Council of Deans’-Council of Students’ Conference held in Tucson, November 6-10.
Historic Collaborative Forum on Predoctoral Dental Curriculum
In an unprecedented meeting held on October 14, representatives of the primary groups involved in predoctoral dental education gathered to discuss whether major curricular reform is needed, what those reforms should be, and how they should be implemented. Although curriculum reform is often debated within the various groups, this meeting was significant in assembling representatives of each to launch what is expected to be a lengthy and comprehensive process that will change how future dentists are educated.
“It is so important to have all the stakeholders involved,” said Dr. Rowland Hutchinson, a Past President of ADEA and chair of the meeting. “The process begun today is critical not just for the future of dental education, but for the future of dentistry.”
ADEA organized the meeting and hosted it at the Association’s offices in Washington, DC. Other groups represented were the American Dental Association (ADA), the ADA’s Commission on Dental Accreditation, the ADA/ADEA Liaison Committee on Surveys, the ADA’s Commission on National Dental Examinations, and the ADA’s Council on Dental Education and Licensure. Attendees also included five current and two former deans of U.S. dental schools, as well as representatives of the ADEA Council of Sections, whose task force on foundation knowledge guidelines helped precipitate this meeting. Other invited participants included a number of prominent dental educators who have been leading voices in discussions of curriculum reform.
The participants came to a consensus on three main points: there is a need for substantive and fundamental changes to the predoctoral dental curriculum; the timing is right to launch this process now; and the process must involve all facets of dentistry, from education through national board testing, licensure, and practice. Ideas presented ranged from the general to the specific, from the minute to the revolutionary. The lively discussion covered accreditation standards, test development and makeup of the Test Construction Committees, the annual clock hour survey, ADEA’s Competencies of the New Dentist, Parts I and II of the National Boards, and many aspects of the organization and content of the past, present, and future dental school curriculum.
Next steps for this enterprise will be worked out in the next months, grounded on the extraordinary consensus among these key players on the need to move forward. Attendees were Dr. Richard N. Buchanan, Dr. William Davenport, Dr. Gerald Glickman, Prof. William Hendricson, Dr. Eric Hovland, Dr. Ronald J. Hunt, Dr. Kenneth L. Kalkwarf, Dr. Denise K. Kassebaum, Dr. R. Lamont MacNeil, Dr. Laura Neumann, Dr. Dorothy Perry, Dr. Marsha Pyle, Dr. Richard Ranney, Dr. Charles Shuler, Dr. Thomas Taft, Dr. Roger Wood, and Prof. Pamela Zarkowski and, from ADEA, Dr. Richard Valachovic, Dr. Karl Haden, Ms. Jackie Chmar, and Ms. Lynn Whittaker.
First-Ever Advanced Dental Education Summit
Following two years of intense planning by the ADEA Council of Hospitals and Advanced Education Programs, ADEA held the first summit on advanced dental education on November 11-12 in Tucson. The theme of the summit conference was “Challenges Facing Advanced Dental Education: Solutions for Today and Tomorrow.”
“This is the first time advanced dental educators from across the many specialty groups sat at the same table to discuss common issues,” said Dr. James Q. Swift, University of Minnesota and ADEA Vice President for Hospitals and Advanced Education Programs. “Plus, the participants heard significant presentations on the past, present, and future of dental education.”
One hundred and ten leaders in advanced dental education programs from across the United States attended the conference. Keynote speakers included Dr. R. Bruce Donoff, Dean, Harvard School of Dental Medicine; Mr. Hal S. Muller, Henry Schein, Inc.; Dr. Patrick M. Lloyd, Dean, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry; and Dr. Howard M. Landesman, Dean, University of Colorado School of Dentistry. Roundable discussions were held on seven topics: recruitment, retention, and development of faculty; recruitment and retention of quality dental residents; strategies for tackling financial pressures faced by advanced dental education programs; evidence-based decision making/standards of care; curriculum proficiencies and competency; implications of PGY-1; and dental licensure issues. The topic areas had been defined with the help of a survey of advanced dental education programs in 2003.
This summit conference also further illustrates the expansion of ADEA into advanced dental education that began with the renaming and refocusing of the Council of Hospitals and Advanced Education Programs in 2002.
“Holding this summit conference for the first time is a tremendous accomplishment for ADEA and an indication of the vitality of this Council,” said Dr. Richard W. Valachovic, ADEA Executive Director. “It truly establishes ADEA as the leader of all dental education.”
The proceedings of the conference are scheduled to be published in the Journal of Dental Education in 2005, and the organizers are hopeful that this conference will be the first of many on the subject.
Corporate sponsors of the summit were OraPharma, Inc., Ultradent Products, Inc., and Zimmer Dental. Funding partners were the Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, American Association of Public Health Dentistry, Academy of Osseointegration, American Academy of Periodontology, American Association of Endodontists, American Association of Public Health Dentists, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American College of Prosthodontists, and William J. Gies Foundation of the American Dental Education Association.
Sixth National ADEA Minority Recruitment and Retention Conference
ADEA held its Sixth National Minority Recruitment and Retention Conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, October 25-26. The Procter & Gamble Company cosponsored the conference. The conference attracted representatives from 54 U.S. dental schools including deans from twelve of the schools. Four objectives were the focus: skills development, cultural competency, strategies to increase access to dental careers, and strategies for achieving diversity in dental education.
Dr. Lisa Tedesco, Vice President, University of Michigan, presented the keynote address on the challenge to Michigan’s admissions practices and the challenge to all of higher education in the post-Supreme Court decisions era. She stressed the use of whole file reviews in the selection process and the need for continued efforts to articulate the value of diversity in academic communities at all levels of education.
Dr. Frank Catalanotto, ADEA President and Chair of the 2002 ADEA Presidential Commission on Access, presented the philosophical, ethical, and strategic basis for linking access and diversity. His presentation referred to ADEA’s Diversity Strategies, the ADEA Access Commission Report, and the recent report of the Sullivan Commission, “Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions.” This report, released in September 2004, documented disparities across the professions of medicine, dentistry, and nursing. Dr. Catalanotto stated, “We have now reached a tipping point that will galvanize the access/diversity interrelationship with regard to oral health. ADEA’s Partnership with Procter & Gamble has contributed to the support of these national conferences, which have helped us sustain efforts and obtain resources needed to address the matrix of challenges involved in URM student recruitment and retention.”
Sustainable partnership models were discussed in both research development and community outreach activities. Dr. Ruth Nowjack-Raymer, from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), presented the broad expectations of the five NIDCR-funded research centers to Reduce Oral Health Disparities. Dr. Douglas Simmons, Past Chair of the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health board, discussed the increasing participation of dental schools in the organization and the need to continue the inclusion of oral health within these partnerships. Dr. Douglass Jackson presented examples of the research and training opportunities that exist at a research-intensive institution such as the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Dr. Boake Plessy discussed the academic/community infrastructure at the University of Connecticut that involves the medical and dental schools in joint efforts for recruitment and retention.
National diversity strategies were presented in a panel that focused on two recent reports: “A National Call to Action,” which was an outgrowth of the 2000 Surgeon General’s report on oral health, and “In the Nation’s Compelling Interest.” Drs. Caswell Evans and Brian Smedley were among key individuals in the development of these major evidentiary and policy reports that now serve as the basis for action from public, private, and educational sectors.
Dr. Brenda Armstrong detailed aspects of the highly successful underrepresented medical student recruitment model at Duke University. Drs. Stanley Handelman, Associated Medical Schools of New York, and Kevin Avery, Oklahoma Native American Center of Excellence, discussed strategies to enhance the recruitment of a diverse faculty. Drs. Handelman and Avery are directors of programs supported by the W. K. Kellogg/ADEA Minority Faculty Development Grants.
Ms. Kim Herbert, Deputy Director of the Dental Pipeline Program, presented the result of focus groups and in-depth interviews to determine challenges facing minority students when they apply to and attend dental school. The project was completed under the auspices of the Pipeline, Profession, and Practice Community-Based Dental Education Program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Skills sessions (included in response to requests from prior conference attendees) were conducted by Dr. Valerie Williams, University of Oklahoma, on cultural competency take-home skills; Dr. Paula O’Neill, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, on creating the inclusive environment; and Dr. Ronald Johnson, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, on skills for student retention and professional development.
Dr. Kenneth Chance, University of Kentucky and Chair of the Conference Planning Committee, stated: “The take-home message from the conference is to continue efforts that expand the pool of URM applicants through collaborative recruitment/retention programs, mobilize financial resources from a variety of stakeholders, and continue efforts that articulate the value of diversity in our dental schools and in all of higher education.”
This report is by Jeanne Sinkford, DDS,
and Sonja Harrison.
Three ADEA Councils Explore Leadership for Change in Dental Schools
In a joint meeting in late October, three ADEA Councils met to consider how lessons from the business world can inform leadership for change in dental academic institutions. This one-day conference in Washington, DC, brought together the Corporate Council, Council of Faculties, and Council of Sections for presentations, learning activities, and interaction among the 120 attendees.
“Joint meetings among some combination of ADEA’s seven Councils create very positive synergies,” said Dr. Richard W. Valachovic, ADEA Executive Director. “This one was particularly useful in exploring how intersections between business and academics can benefit dental education. The program’s focus highlights the value we place on learning from the Association’s corporate partners.”
Following welcoming remarks from Dr. Valachovic and Dr. Eric Hovland, ADEA President-Elect, the keynote address was delivered by Dr. Michael Alfano, Dean of New York University College of Dentistry. Drawing on his experience in both the academic and business worlds, Dr. Alfano reviewed a number of changes that are helping his school achieve educational and business success. Among these innovations are establishing creative partnerships in a variety of areas with other New York-based enterprises and institutions; working with the media to communicate the importance of oral health to the public; “taxing” each part of the school to create a pool of funds to support important projects; and understanding and leveraging the cost of facilities.
The remainder of the conference was devoted to an interactive workshop on leadership for the future of academic dentistry, led by David Bachrach, MBA, a nationally recognized leadership consultant and coach for those in academic health centers. The day concluded with brief presentations by four individuals (Dr. Marsha Pyle, Dr. Todd Watkins, Dr. Diane Ede-Nichols, and Dr. John Killip), who described their own leadership paths.
This Joint Interim Meeting was organized by a committee of representatives from the three Councils: Dr. Todd Watkins, Vital Source Technologies, and Chair of the Corporate Council; Dr. Karen West, University of Kentucky, and Chair of the Council of Faculties; and Dr. Sandra Andrieu, Louisiana State University, and Chair-Elect of the Council of Sections.