An annual survey of graduating seniors by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) obtained data about their financing of dental education, graduating indebtedness, practice and postdoctoral education plans following graduation, and impressions of the adequacy of time directed to various areas of predoctoral instruction. Also related…

Presents findings of the annual analysis of dental school applicant numbers and characteristics conducted by the American Dental Education Association. There were 7,412 applicants to dental schools in 2001, and 57.6% were enrolled in 2001. Provides other data about applicants and admissions. (SLD)

Surveyed directors of programs in postgraduate education in general dentistry (PGD) about critical issues facing their programs. Identified 12 themes: lack of postdoctoral applicants; student quality; professionalism and attitudes; number of postdoctoral positions; lack of funding; quality of facilities; special patient care; program curriculum;…

Asserts that an education colored by research in one way of achieving the intellectual rigor necessary for the dentistry professional. Suggests that the key is cultivating in students a taste for complexity, for problems, and for problem solving. Students would therefore become people of science able to acquire and assimilate new knowledge and…

Few predoctoral dental students received clinical experience with handicapped patients, and in recent years, dental educators have indicated that a shortage of patients exists. A study examined the extent to which dental schools have incorporated handicapped and medically compromised patients into their predoctoral comprehensive care program. (MLW)

A case in which a dental student with hand, foot, and mouth disease was told he had "medical student disease" (MSD), or hypochondriasis, is related; literature pertaining to the occurrence and treatment of MSD is reviewed, and the importance of care in approaches to both students and patients are discussed. (MSE)

Reviews evidence supporting the use of the Dental Admission Test (DAT) with minority dental school applicants, and finds that the DAT is the best nationally available predictor of success in dental school and that its validity is comparable across different minority groups. (DB)

Reports American Dental Education Association (ADEA) activities from the end of the 2000 through the 2001 Annual Session and Exposition. This official record serves as a reference for members and others interested in dental and allied education. Contains reports from the president, president-elect, and executive director; proceedings of the 2000…

A study documenting dental students' stress levels state and trait anxiety throughout their third year found no significant changes during the year but suggest a need for stress management programs within the dental school environment. (MSE)

A survey of dental schools that revealed processing quality control and routine maintenance checks on x-ray generators are being carried out in a timely manner is discussed. However, methods for reducing patient exposure to radiation are not being fully implemented, and some dental students are being exposed to x-rays. (Author/MLW)

Four due process cases in which judicial decisions were made about dental students' dismissals occurring as a result of poor clinical performance are reviewed. All decisions reiterate the opinion that educators are uniquely qualified to assess a student's academic achievement and professional development. The school's responsibility is also…

A study investigated the quantity of alloy lost in the fabrication of three types of cast restoration by dental students, and identified the proportion of loss at each of the four principal stages of the fabrication process. Suggestions for reducing metal loss and related costs in dental schools are offered. (MSE)

Describes an innovative program developed at the University of California San Francisco and designed to address the shortage of underrepresented minorities and persons of disadvantaged backgrounds in the dental profession and to improve access to care for disadvantaged communities. The program involves exam preparation and learning skills courses,…

Studied the smoking cessation attitudes and practices of 244 fourth-year dental students through a self-report survey. Students generally endorsed tobacco prevention practices, but perceived barriers to service provision. Findings show the receptivity of students to smoking cessation education and the need to include cessation counseling training…

Detailed descriptions are given of the five computer-generated reports of the Student Advising Information Package provided to advisors for each advisee: (1) Family of Patients; (2) Clinic Activity and Patient Management; (3) Student Procedure Progress by American Dental Association Code; (4) Delinquent Appointments; and (5) Student-Patient…