Teaching students leadership knowledge and skills: A 10-year comparison of predoctoral dental school curricula.

Abstract

Purpose/objective: The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standard 2-19 states that dental programs must assess graduates' ability to function successfully as leaders of the dental team. This study aimed to explore how predoctoral programs teach and assess leadership and compare findings to the only known national survey on predoctoral leadership training from 2012.

Methods: In August and September, 2022, a 22-item survey was emailed to academic deans at 75 CODA-accredited dental schools. If necessary, deans were encouraged to designate a curriculum expert at their school to complete the survey. The survey was open for a period of 4 weeks. Two reminders were sent following outreach-one 2 weeks after survey release, and one 24 hours before closing. Data were analyzed and descriptive statistics were calculated.

Findings/results: Eighteen schools (24%) responded. Respondents indicated diverse leadership training opportunities across the curricula. Compared to 2012, respondents report a significant decrease in the use of practical exams and a significant increase in faculty evaluation of student leadership skills in clinical settings. Significant change was not noted across other assessment modalities: multiple choice assessments/exams, rotation ratings, development and evaluation of a project, portfolio submissions, and peer-assessment. Respondents indicate leadership training opportunities and assessment strategies not evaluated in 2012: 33% (6/18) objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), 56% (10/18) student self-assessments, and 33% (6/18) record reviews.

Conclusion: There is a shift in leadership training in dental education. Future mixed methods research is needed to identify best practices to inform the development of a leadership training framework.