Building the minority faculty development pipeline.
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The shortage of faculty in dental education is well documented, but the data also show a shortage of minorities in postgraduate programs, which develop future faculty. In the last ten years, ADEA's effort to address minority issues in dental education has made some progress. In addition, examples of pipelines for minority faculty development that have shown some success include: a partnership between Harlem Hospital and Columbia University School of Dentistry and Oral Surgery in which the school dedicates one position in its postgraduate training programs to an individual participating in the Harlem Hospital General Practice Residency program; a partnership between the National Dental Association Foundation and Colgate-Palmolive Company, which provides scholarships for advanced dental education study; and the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center Department of Dentistry, which enrolls underrepresented minorities in its General Practice Residency Program, a new Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program, and a unique program providing hands-on experience in HIV/AIDS health care policy and AIDS development management. Critical elements in the relative success of these programs are environment, selection criteria, mentoring, networking, and finance. The true measure of the outcomes is still to be seen. (+info)
Strategies to create and sustain a diverse faculty and student body at the Boston University School of Dental Medicine.
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The challenges and opportunities inherent in creating and sustaining a diverse student body and a diverse faculty, staff, and administration are discussed in the context of the experience of the Boston University School of Dental Medicine. The role of the school's evolution as a learning organization is highlighted as an essential contributing factor to success in minority recruitment and retention efforts. (+info)
A model for assessing the ethical environment in academic dentistry.
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Weber's "Institutional Ethics Audit" model was designed as a tool for assessment of an organization's effort to institutionalize ethics into its operations. In this model, the overall ethical environment of an organization is evaluated through an assessment of its 1) ethical cultures, 2) ethics policy, 3) enforcement mechanisms, and 4) ethical training. Assessment of these components allows the organization to be placed along a continuum that spans aethical firms, compliance firms, emerging firms, and integrity firms. This paper presents the conceptual framework for this model. We propose that application of this model to academic institutions, including dental schools, could provide appropriate information to improve the ethical climate of the institution. (+info)
A survey of deans and ADEA activities on dental licensure issues.
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A written survey on issues in clinical testing for licensure was sent to the deans of all dental schools in the United States. Response rate was 89 percent. Results indicate that administrative leaders of the country's dental schools think that third-party evaluation of graduates is appropriate, but they do not have confidence in current clinical tests for licensure. More than nine out of ten respondents indicated that change was needed in current testing procedures, and 82 percent thought the tests as currently conducted were not valid for decision purposes. Regional differences existed among the responses, with the least dissatisfaction occurring in the West. The highest-rated and most frequently mentioned reasons for dissatisfaction with clinical tests were the involvement of patients (human subjects) as currently done. Most respondents favored a national level for licensure tests, although the majority also approved of the recently enacted New York law that permits completion of a postgraduate year in an accredited program to substitute for clinical testing. Respondents indicated a belief that a national database on academic measures as compared to outcomes on clinical licensure tests would be useful, with overall grade point average or class rank as the favored academic measure. Informed by the recommendations of its representatives to the AADE-ADEA Innovative Testing and Educational Methodologies Committee and results of the survey of deans, ADEA is pursuing steps to foster change in the clinical licensure process. (+info)
Personality and gender influences on faculty ratings and rankings of oral and maxillofacial surgery residency applicants.
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This study examined effects of applicants' personality and gender on faculty rankings and matching to an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) residency program. Forty-seven applicants completed a standardized personality measure (Adjective Check List, ACL), and faculty interviewers rated each applicant on five personality dimensions during their onsite interview. Applicants were found to be similar to the normative population on all ACL personality dimensions, indicating that there is no distinctive personality profile characteristic of individuals seeking an OMS residency position. Male applicants were rated by interviewers as being more capable of dealing with stress effectively and more affiliative and deferent to authority than female applicants. Applicant ACL scores were unrelated to faculty rankings, but applicants rated as more friendly, motivated, assertive, confident, and tolerant of stress received more favorable rankings. Compared to applicants who did not match at this site, matched applicants were more likely to seek emotional support from others and were rated as being more assertive. Study limitations as well as implications for the use of personality measures and interviews in the selection of OMS residency candidates are discussed. (+info)
The work covenant: a management strategy for department chairs and program directors.
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Learning contracts have been used in adult education to ensure a positive and successful learning process. By means of a learning contract, the instructor can support the learner in a manner that best suits the learner's individual requirements. Like the learning environment, the workplace finds individuals with varying skill sets, areas of interest, and degrees of motivation. Understanding and applying the skills of the worker to appropriate tasks and interests have important ramifications for how workers perceive their jobs and the ultimate effectiveness of the organization. Studies show that the quality of the work environment is critical for the job satisfaction and retention of employees in the public and private sector as well as for the dental academician. Recent literature on faculty development has focused on adapting business-based motivation, mentoring, and performance counseling strategies to the academic setting. By leading and managing faculty development through the use of such strategies, the quality of the work environment can be improved. This article briefly summarizes the commonality between retention strategies and learning contracts within a human resource context and provides a model document that can be used by chairs and program directors to organize and focus their faculty development efforts. (+info)
Mentorship: a critical component for professional growth and academic success.
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Faculty in a twenty-first century school of dentistry face a variety of daily challenges. Balancing teaching, research, and scholarship can be an overwhelming task for junior faculty and is influenced by the environment and the interactions we have with colleagues. Effective mentorship can play a critical role in professional growth and development as well as academic success. Excellent mentors provide a distinct vision and can guide their proteges to achieve the goals associated with these visions. Current literature supports the definitive characteristics that potential proteges and effective mentors exhibit and delineates how mentoring can enhance productivity, efficiency, and motivation. There is also evidence that formal mentoring programs have an overall positive impact on junior faculty and may assist in retention of dental school faculty. Successful mentors take proteges under their wings for guidance, inspiration, and encouragement and in the process create motivated, productive, and successful teachers and researchers, thus leaving a legacy. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature regarding the importance and benefits of excellent mentorship. (+info)
The current status of allied dental faculty: a survey report.
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Allied dental program directors have expressed increasing concerns about possible current and future shortages of allied dental educators. As a result, the ADEA Board of Directors created a task force to investigate the current status of allied dental faculty, including the degree of cultural diversity, and to identify whether current and/or potential future shortages of educators exist. A survey was sent to all accredited allied dental program directors. Results indicated that a current faculty shortage exists for dental assisting and dental hygiene programs, with a projected greater future shortage for all allied dental education disciplines, primarily as a result of retirement of current faculty members. The data collected also revealed a lack of diversity in allied dental faculties, especially in dental hygiene and dental assisting programs. Recommendations for action steps included investigating: 1) the use of technology to provide the faculty expertise necessary to allow more affordable quality education in almost any location and to maximize available resources; 2) alternative ways to reward faculty; 3) loan forgiveness as an incentive for exemplary graduates to pursue educational career goals; 4) an ongoing database to monitor the status of allied dental educators; and 5) best practices in higher education to attract a more diverse student body and faculty in terms of gender, ethnicity, and race. (+info)