[Training in social competence in undergraduate education in pediatric stomatology]

Hitherto practised training revealed that in the undergraduate training in paedostomatology there are disproportions between the shaping of the professional skill and the formation of professional social and psychological qualities of the student. The consequences of the one-side attention of teaching to professional training are manifested already during clinical practicals and during the implementation of systematic dental care in practice. The authors innovated the programme of undergraduate training in paedostomatology. This resulted in rationalization, not extension of the training at the expense of other subjects. As far as stomatological training is concerned, they adhered as regards scope and contents to the hitherto existing seven thematic entities of the uniform curriculum. A new subjects, psycho-social training was included where students are not taught only basic theoretical knowledge; methods of social training were applied and students are taught the necessary practical skills. The method was applied so far for five years in the training of paedostomatology at the First Chair of Stomatology. The acquired experience justifies the statement that the method was accepted by members of the department (of all categories), child patients and parents. The children become rapidly familiar with the technique of substitutional signals of communication. During subsequent visits they do not require treatment by the same doctor but adherence to the ritual. The change of the general style of training enables the teacher to make the students familiar in a more instructive manner with the basic principles of three-step preventive care, to teach the students not to treat but to "be a doctors". By simulation of field practice in the final part of the clinical course training was approximated to the actual procedure in practical work.