Comparison of Extramural Clinical Rotation Days: Did the Pipeline Program Make a Difference?

Abstract

Extramural clinical rotations are implemented by dental schools for a combination of clinical and didactic or behavioral goals. In the United States, the Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community-Based Dental Education program was launched to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who are recruited and retained in dental education, to expand the dental curriculum in cultural competence, and to incorporate community-based extramural rotations into the dental schools' clinical curriculum. The objective of this study was to conduct an impact analysis regarding the change in number of extramural clinical rotation weeks for Pipeline and non-Pipeline program students over the time period of 2003 to 2007. National data from the American Dental Education Association's senior survey and other secondary sources were used to determine what student, school, and community characteristics are associated with a difference in the student report of the number of required weeks they expect to spend during their last year in dental school providing care at extramural clinic settings. Students reported a mean of 7.2 weeks for Pipeline students and 6.4 weeks for non-Pipeline students in 2003, increasing to 8.2 weeks for Pipeline students and 6.6 weeks for non-Pipeline students (p<0.05) in 2007. The multivariable model showed the Pipeline program increased signiicantly the number of rotational weeks reported by students. Three other variables signiicantly increased rotation weeks: 1) a lower baseline number of reported weeks in community rotations; 2) a lower level of debt student reported upon graduation; and 3) student reports of a higher orientation toward service to others as a reason to enter dentistry.

Faculty staff and rural placement supervisors' pre‐ and post‐placement perceptions of a clinical rural placement programme in NSW Australia

“…The rural clinical supervisors also thought that the placement could offer extra experience in primary care dentistry, help to reduce public patient waiting lists and might well encourage students to join the rural dental workforce. Other research from the United Kingdom, United States and Australia support these comments . The rural clinical supervisors main concerns were the students' clinical competence, how would they cope with missing lectures and being away from the University.…”

“…Atchison et al. reported in an evaluation of the US Pipeline programme that there were concerns regarding the quality of the clinical supervision that would be provided to students in these community settings and as such calibration training and activity days were provided to enhance communication and build links between Faculty staff and the clinical supervisory staff. Sengupta et al.…”

“…The programme was assessed by Atchison et al. , and they reported that despite the programme offering similar funding and goals to each school, this did not necessarily translate into similar results. Faculty support and involvement varied from school to school and the type and number of rotations differed, with some schools selecting a small number of clinical sites whilst others generated multiple options in urban, rural, out‐of‐state and even international sites.…”

Cost-utility analysis modeling at 2-year follow-up for cervical disc arthroplasty versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: A single-center contribution to the randomized controlled trial

“…Utility values were derived from the NDI and the SF-36 at 12 and 24 months based on accepted literature and based on validated mathematical modeling. 30 – 33 A calculation of cumulative quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) was gained at time points 1 and 2 years after surgery was performed. There were 2 patients that had only 1-year follow-up; these were included only in the 1-year cost analysis.…”

Clinical and Community‐Based Education in U.S. Dental Schools

“…The sites involved in these collaborations were varied and included Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), hospitals, philanthropic and civic organizations, Department of Veterans Affairs health centers, and faith‐based care centers. In their assessment of the Pipeline program, Atchison et al found that the dental schools had developed collaborations with a wide range of health entities located in urban, suburban, and rural settings, serving a mix of ethnic, racial, and cultural cohorts 18 …”