Clermont-Ferrand dental school curriculum: an appraisal by last-year students and graduates

Last-year students and young graduates of the Clermont-Ferrand dental school (France) assessed their professional skills in order to shed light on those which are perfectly mastered and those which are not, with the aim of improving the undergraduate training given by the school.

A questionnaire was handed out to students in their last two years and to young graduates (n = 170). They were asked to appraise their self-assessed level concerning 52 skills using a 0-10 visual analogue scale. The respondents also had to highlight the five skills which, according to them, needed to be improved during the programme.

Thirteen skills obtained a score lower than 5/10 showing a need of more thorough training, notably in the fields of implantology, paradontal surgery, temporomandibular joint disorders and dental practice financial management. Among these, five skills were found that demand in depth acquisition according to respondents. However, these five skills are not necessarily the ones which obtained the lowest scores.

Our school needs to improve the quality of its training, notably by reorganising some of its courses and by intensifying student' training in outreach programmes, particularly in private practice, where skills like the financial management of a dental practice could be more easily acquired than in a hospital environment.