[Blueprint 2000 Education of dentists in the Netherlands. Objectives of undergraduate dental education. A summary]

Blueprint 2000 Education of dentists in the Netherlands includes nationally developed objectives for the dentist at graduation. The changing state of oral health of the population and oral health care require a dentist trained in a broad range of dental subjects. Intellectual and scientific training should be an important aspect of undergraduate education. Developments in teaching methods support these requirements. The differences in the implementation of educational developments in the three Dutch dental schools made a uniform description of objectives not yet possible. The actual objectives therefore are presented in four different ways: (1) the profile of the dentist in broad terms, (2) general objectives by way of competencies, (3) discipline-based objectives and (4) a list of problems. These problems are derived from every day practice and can serve as starting point in the learning process of the student. It is expected, that Blueprint 2000 Education of dentists in the Netherlands will be used as a basis for curriculum development. What type of objectives, or combinations, will be used will be seen in the future.