Examining the Effects of Early Patient Care and Biomedical Science Integration on Predoctoral Dental Student Competence and Confidence.
Rachel Tomco NovakBethany D BlinskyBurke W SoffeClark A DanaElizabeth G BaileyEdgar J TilleyGary S JuddAshley K HinkleFrank W LicariDuane R WindenAaron FergusonJamie L JensenPublished in: European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe (2023)
Our findings demonstrate that predoctoral dental programs may be able to bring about positive outcomes for students' clinical confidence and competence by providing patient care opportunities early in the program and sequencing the biomedical sciences throughout the curriculum. As such, it appears that early experiential learning may be a viable option for curricular integration that can have a positive effect on both students' confidence in their clinical abilities and their progression to clinical competence.