Orthodontic graduate education survey, 1983-2000

Throughout academic year 1999/2000, the fourth in a series of national surveys sponsored by the American Association of Orthodontists Council on Education was conducted to determine the status of graduate education, to assemble information on the didactic and clinical material being taught, and to provide a basis for comparison with past and future studies. The results of the previous studies were published in 1984, 1989, and 1995. The specific purpose of the 2000 study was to identify trends and evaluate new developments in orthodontic education over the past 17 years. A 346-item survey questionnaire, covering 8 major areas of orthodontic graduate education, was sent to graduate program directors in the United States and Canada. The major areas analyzed were program organization, graduate students, faculty, facilities, clinical details, treatment techniques, research, and curriculum. Findings showed that curricular time devoted to clinical activities is increasing, but curricular time devoted to research is declining. The rate of student publications is down precipitously. The numbers of full-time and half-time faculty members are declining, and departments increasingly rely on part-time faculty to meet teaching needs. Overall experience levels of the faculty are declining. Fewer faculty members are American Board of Orthodontics diplomates. Faculty salaries, when adjusted for inflation, are down from 1994. Tuitions have increased dramatically over the last 5 years. Approximately 50% of all programs are now 3 years long. Clinic fees are now roughly two thirds those of local private-practice fees. Students are treating more mixed dentition and craniofacial cases and fewer nonsurgical adult cases. Fewer departments are relying on centralized radiographic facilities in their parent dental schools, preferring in-department radiography. Approximately 50% of the first-year students are female.