Using significant event analysis in dental and medical education

As part of a new professional development teaching strand at the University of Otago's School of Dentistry, final-year dental students were each asked to write a "thought-provoking episode report" (TPER). These TPERs formed the basis for group discussion in a professional development course. This article outlines the main content themes of the reports, comparing them with similar reports written by medical students from the same university. While both sets of reports demonstrate students' commitment to high standards of care, there were significant differences in the overall themes. Of the fifty-one dental TPERs, the main themes were "difficult" patients, receiving conflicting advice from different clinical tutors, friends as patients, belittlement, and maintenance of professional standards. Key themes from medical students' TPERs included responding to patient suffering, observing or experiencing belittlement, uncertainty, error and complaints, the role of the undergraduate student, treating family and friends, causing distress in order to learn, and issues with mentoring. Possible interpretations of the similarities and differences in this data include confirmation of the value of personal experience as a basis for student discussion, the necessity for formal programs in professional development, and the presence of a hidden curriculum in dental and medical education.