Critical incidents, successes, and challenges of community-based dental education

In 2006, the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health at A.T. Still University (ATSU ASDOH) implemented an intensive community-based education program for its inaugural fourth-year students called the Integrated Community Service Partnerships (ICSP) program. As part of the ICSP program, students spend half of their clinical experience (approximately ninety-five days) in rotations at four or five community-based clinics. More than sixty clinics in Arizona and throughout the country serve as rotation sites. ATSU ASDOH conducts focus groups with all fourth-year students prior to graduation for program improvement and research. The purpose of this study was to characterize critical incidents students identified as instrumental to learning, as well as successes and challenges of the program. Qualitative data from the 2009 and 2010 focus groups were analyzed, including a total of 104 students. The types of critical incidents students chose to describe in the focus groups involved patient factors, contextual factors, and interpersonal factors. While students believed their ICSP program external rotation experiences were fundamental in their clinical and professional development, they also noted challenges associated with this intense community-based education program.