Predoctoral clinical curriculum models at U.S. and Canadian dental schools

In fall 2002, the ADEA Section on Comprehensive Care and General Dentistry conducted a survey of the predoctoral clinical curriculum models at sixty-four North American dental schools. Fifty-eight percent of the schools reported that most patient care is provided in a comprehensive care clinic setting, 22 percent reported that most patient care is provided in discipline-specific settings, and 20 percent reported a hybrid of comprehensive care and discipline-specific settings. While ten Primarily Discipline-Based (PD) schools have instituted new Primarily Comprehensive Care (PCC) or Hybrid clinical curricula since 1997, one PCC school has converted to a Hybrid model, and one PCC school has converted to a PD model. PCC curriculum models were frequently associated with the following institutional factors: more densely populated metropolitan areas; private institutional sponsorship; location within a university medical center; larger class size; and more students enrolled in advanced training at the school. Curriculum factors frequently associated with PCC models included the following: increased use of simulation technology: higher proportion of clinical/teaching track faculty; higher proportion of part-time faculty; higher proportion of generalist faculty; same faculty supervising both treatment planning and patient treatment; and use of competency exams as the main requirement for completion of the curriculum.