Updated: Jan 22, 2018

Education

Vision: To lead with a contemporary and evolving curriculum centered in evidence-based patient care, critical thinking, and life-long learning.
Goal: The Biomedical and Foundation Science curriculum is integrated, clinically relevant and uses a layered learning approach to develop competency in applying science to patient care.

Success Measures:

  • Class of 2019 will be prepared to take the integrated format of the National Board exam.
  • Faculty will have implemented engaged learning techniques in the curriculum of the first three years to facilitate student integration of biomedical and foundation sciences into patient care.
Actions Success Measures
Reevaluate the role of the medical school and dental faculty in design and implementation of the biomedical and foundation sciences curriculum.

Design an integrated curricular model for instruction and assessment of student learning in the biomedical and foundational sciences.


On Schedule
Achieve By: Sep 2018
Implement: Mar 2019
Design instructional units [courses] for the new curriculum that are based on clinical scenarios with dental and medical significance.

These are designed and taught by teams of scientists and clinicians.


On Schedule
Achieve By: Jun 2019
Conduct a series of Faculty Development Workshops that train faculty in engaged learning techniques.

80% of the faculty that teach in the first three years will participate in engaged learning workshops.


On Schedule
Achieve By: Jan 2019
Increase opportunities for engaged learning.

The amount of time spent in lecture will be 20% or less of the curriculum.


On Schedule
Achieve By: Jan 2020

Goal: Incorporate time, flexibility, and guidance in the curriculum to cultivate personalized student development.

Actions Success Measures
A centralized student and faculty portal supports the assessment of clinical competency and academic progression throughout the curriculum.

Software selected.


On Schedule
Achieve By: Dec 2017

Portal implemented.


On Schedule
Achieve By: May 2019
Goal: Provide unique curricular and extracurricular opportunities for dental and dental hygiene students to participate in global initiatives programs.

These programs will be designed to enrich student’s understanding in global health, cultural intelligence, creating sustainable and responsible community-based preventive programs, different health education models and health care systems.

Actions Success Measures
Create at least four global initiative programs designed to provide a distinct learning experience for the students.

Four or more programs have been created and are operational.


On Schedule
Achieve By: Mar 2018
Develop and implement a fair and effective system to select students for the programs.

Selection system has been developed and implemented with students for 2018 programs selected using the system.


On Schedule
Achieve By: Jan 2018
Create a new Pathways Elective Course to provide didactic material and allow for structured discussions with all the participating students.

Course is designed and approved by the UMSoD


On Schedule
Achieve By: Feb 2018

Course is operational


On Schedule
Achieve By: Sep 2018
Develop a multi-dimensional assessment system to evaluate the impact of the experience on students.

Assessment is developed and being used for all programs.


On Schedule
Achieve By: Feb 2018

Achievements

Goal: All predoctoral dental graduates demonstrate critical thinking during the course of patient care.
ACTIONS SUCCESS MEASURES
Agree upon definition of critical thinking that can be used across the school.
Definition agreed upon and posted on Academic Affairs website or MiTools.
Completed: Jan 2015
Audit the Curriculum to determine where critical thinking is being taught and assessed.
The curriculum audit is documented in a report, and also in our 2016 accreditation self study.

2015 Curriculum Audit

Completed: Oct 2015
Map critical thinking skills development across the disciplines and vertically through the DDS curriculum.
Critical thinking skills are developed from D1-D4, in preclinics/clinics, biomedical sciences/oral medicine and vertically integrated through the foundation sciences and clinical didactic courses as measured by grading rubrics.
Completed: Dec 2015
Utilize clinical assessment to promote critical thinking by students in the course of patient care.
A standardized assessment, using a critical thinking rubric (a listing of assessment criteria, or what counts, and the levels of quality from excellent to poor), is implemented in the Comprehensive Care course.
Completed: May 2017
 
A new clinical assessment tool is developed that measures a student’s ability to articulate their reasoning and provide evidence for their decisions in diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment planning and treatment delivery during the course of patient care.
Completed: May 2017
 
100% of graduating dental students successfully articulate their reasoning and provide evidence for their decisions in diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment planning and treatment delivery during the course of patient care as measured by the new assessment instrument.
Completed: May 2017
Goal: Incorporate time, flexibility, and guidance in the curriculum to cultivate personalized student development.
ACTIONS SUCCESS MEASURES
Hire a director of Pathways Program, and Curriculum Assessment and Integration.
Hire a director                           
Completed: Oct 2015
Redefine the structure of Pathways and its associated projects, electives and time based on outcomes data from students, faculty and staff.
New Pathways structure defined.
Completed: Jul 2016
Faculty Retreat.
Completed: Jan 2016
Implement the new Pathways model.
Completed: Sep 2016

Steward(s): Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Tracy de Peralta, Director of Pathways Program & Curriculum and Assessment Integration