The experience of dental students on their transition from preclinical to clinical training at an Irish dental school and curriculum measures to ease the transition
type: CreativeWork
description: Introduction In undergraduate dental education, there are significant learning landmarks. Prominent among these is the student transition from the preclinical to the clinical phase of their learning journey. This transition is significant and often challenging but has not been widely interrogated in Irish dental education. Aims This study was designed to explore the perceptions of undergraduate dental students studying for the Degree of Bachelor in Dental Surgery (BDS), in University College Cork (UCC), based in the Cork University Dental School & Hospital (CUDSH), to give voice to the student perspective and to recommend curriculum responses. Methods A mixed methods approach was employed. This included a quantitative survey where student participants (N=128) responded to statements using a 5-point Likert scale to indicate their agreement or otherwise, across the following domains: Transition & Professional Socialisation; Workload; Patient Contact; Knowledge & Skills and Learning & Education. Participants also engaged in a brainstorming exercise, based on a Focus Prompt to enumerate their suggestions for areas which they would like to have addressed in a curriculum to support the preclinical to clinical transition for dental students. Group Concept Mapping (GCM) methodology was introduced, for the first time in relation to curriculum evaluation in Dentistry, to sort and rate the resultant suggestions for improvement, as to their importance and ease of inclusion in a dental curriculum. Results When looked at in synthesis, the combined data from the quantitative and qualitative elements of the study were analysed and recommendations made for curriculum development. Participants perceived that they were nervous beginning clinical work, where they found the transition to be abrupt and associated with an increased workload. With time, they found their overall transition to be satisfactory. They requested clinical exposure earlier in the course; enhanced familiarisation w…
abstract: Introduction In undergraduate dental education, there are significant learning landmarks. Prominent among these is the student transition from the preclinical to the clinical phase of their learning journey. This transition is significant and often challenging but has not been widely interrogated in Irish dental education. Aims This study was designed to explore the perceptions of undergraduate dental students studying for the Degree of Bachelor in Dental Surgery (BDS), in University College Cork (UCC), based in the Cork University Dental School & Hospital (CUDSH), to give voice to the student perspective and to recommend curriculum responses. Methods A mixed methods approach was employed. This included a quantitative survey where student participants (N=128) responded to statements using a 5-point Likert scale to indicate their agreement or otherwise, across the following domains: Transition & Professional Socialisation; Workload; Patient Contact; Knowledge & Skills and Learning & Education. Participants also engaged in a brainstorming exercise, based on a Focus Prompt to enumerate their suggestions for areas which they would like to have addressed in a curriculum to support the preclinical to clinical transition for dental students. Group Concept Mapping (GCM) methodology was introduced, for the first time in relation to curriculum evaluation in Dentistry, to sort and rate the resultant suggestions for improvement, as to their importance and ease of inclusion in a dental curriculum. Results When looked at in synthesis, the combined data from the quantitative and qualitative elements of the study were analysed and recommendations made for curriculum development. Participants perceived that they were nervous beginning clinical work, where they found the transition to be abrupt and associated with an increased workload. With time, they found their overall transition to be satisfactory. They requested clinical exposure earlier in the course; enhanced familiarisation w…
author: Hegarty, Anne Mary
language: en
keywords: Dental student experience, Group concept mapping, Curriculum measures
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
date published: 2024
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:48:07Z
provider: University College Cork
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University College Cork

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10468/16460