Pediatric Dentistry Program Directors' Resident Assessment Techniques.

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Graduate Medical Education

Background:

• Assessing resident competence is crucial in graduate dental education.
• Standardized evaluation metrics are increasingly important for program accreditation and patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate current resident evaluation strategies used by pediatric dentistry program directors.
• To identify how program directors determine resident graduation readiness.
• To explore perceptions of standardized evaluation methods and entrustable professional activities.

Main Methods:

• A survey questionnaire was developed and piloted with former program directors.
• The survey was electronically distributed to pediatric dentistry program directors across the United States.
• Responses were collected on current evaluation practices and future needs.

Main Results:

• Fifty-seven program directors responded (55.9% response rate).
• Most directors rely on daily observation for assessing competence and progression to complex procedures.
• Interest exists in standardized parameters, but concerns regarding cost and time for implementation were noted.
• Awareness of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for competence evaluation was low.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric dentistry program directors predominantly use daily observation and formal assessments for resident evaluation.
• There is a recognized need for standardized evaluation tools, though practical implementation remains a barrier.
• Further education on novel assessment methods like EPAs may be beneficial.