Association of Community‐Based Dental Education Components with Fourth‐Year Dental Students’ Clinical Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess which components of a community-based dental education (CBDE) program at The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics were associated with overall student performance. This retrospective study analyzed data for 444 fourth-year students who graduated in 2006 through 2011. Information pertaining to students' CBDE rotations and their inal grades from the comprehensive clinic (in two areas: Production and Competence) were used for statistical analysis. Bivariate analyses indicated that students who completed CBDE in the fall were more likely to receive an A or B in Production compared to students who completed CBDE in the spring. However, students who completed CBDE in the beginning or end of the academic year were more likely to receive an A or B in Competence compared to those who completed CBDE in the middle of the year. Students who treated a variety of patient types during CBDE experiences (comprehensive and emergency care vs. mainly comprehensive care) were more likely to receive better grades in Production, while CBDE clinic type was not associated with grades. Dental schools should consider how CBDE may impact students' performance in their institutional clinics when developing and evaluating CBDE programs.Ms.

Care Provided by Students in Community‐Based Dental Education: Helping Meet Oral Health Needs in Underserved Communities

“…Our students provided patient care at FQHCs, IHS clinics, clinics owned by health systems, community clinics, a community clinic in a hospital, a mobile van, and a tribal clinic. This range of clinical rotations was similar to programs described in other studies, and the rotation lengths for our students were consistent with other programs that provide eight to ten weeks of extramural clinical experiences 15 , 18 , 27 , 30 , 31 . A unique feature of our program is the inclusion of dental hygiene and dental therapy students.…”

“…Many dental schools, such as the University of Iowa, University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, and The Ohio State University, have reported success with community‐based learning experiences 15 – 18 . Newer schools, such as East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine and A.T.…”

An Exploration of Dental Students’ Assumptions About Community‐Based Clinical Experiences

“…All fourth‐year dental students at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics are assigned to two consecutive five‐week community‐based rotations (ten weeks total). The sites vary based on clinic type (hospital clinics, long‐term care facilities, community health centers, Indian Health Service facilities, and private practices) and types of patients treated (children, frail elderly, special needs populations, non‐English‐speaking patients, and other traditionally underserved adults) 8 . The timing of the rotations depends on the students’ group assignment (group 1: July–September; group 2: October–December; group 3: January–March; group 4: March–May) 8 .…”

“…Participation in CBCE has also been reported to increase dental students’ self‐confidence, clinical skills, and productivity because they often treat more patients in CBCE than in dental school clinics 2 , 5 – 7 . Students also learn practice management skills and how to work with dental assistants, 2 , 7 while CBCE specifics such as type of patients treated (adults versus children) and type of care provided (comprehensive or emergency care) have been found to be associated with dental students’ overall academic performance 8 …”

Dental Students' Non‐Clinical Learning During Community‐Based Experiences: A Survey of U.S. Dental Schools

“…15 As many of these rotations train students to provide care for multiple patients in a clinical session, CBDE also helps dental students gain experiences that increase their clinical productivity and eiciency. 11,[16][17][18][19][20][21] However, there is limited evidence of the extent to which these rotations augment clinical training with learning about the social, political, professional, and economic factors that shape the attitudes and behaviors of patients and health care providers.…”