In Which Ways Does Community-Based Dental Education Facilitate Development of Professional Identity in Undergraduate Curricula? A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Background: Community-Based Dental Education (CBDE) is becoming an integral part of undergraduate dental curricula globally. Literature has provided a wide range of benefits related to supporting the development of several professional skills such as communication and social interactions in community settings for dental students. While these skills are related to professional identity (PI) development, there has been little discussion linking CBDE with PI development in the current literature. To fill in this literature gap and explore pedagogical potentials to support PI for undergraduate healthcare curricula, this study provides a scoping review of the literature to analyse how published studies link CBDE to the development of PI.

Methods: PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used to conduct the review. The review protocol was registered with Open Science Framework to ensure transparency. Multiple electronic databases were searched, followed by screening of the articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Qualitative analysis of the included articles was conducted using NVIVO by two independent reviewers.

Results: A total of 4483 articles were identified from databases. The full-text screening was performed for 101 articles by two reviewers, out of which 35 articles were included in the analysis. The reviewed articles provide a diverse perspective of association and contribution to PI development through CBDE. Four dimensions were identified, including personal, clinical, interpersonal, and cultural. Most of the studies focussed on attaining clinical experience, while other studies explored confidence, teamwork skills, communication skills, and cultural awareness among undergraduate students in CBDE.

Conclusion: The current study explores the value of CBDE to foster PI development in undergraduate education. Although the existing literature identifies some elements in CBDE that may contribute to PI development, the link between it and CBDE does not appear to be articulated clearly. The results of the review provide practical implications for the future practice of CBDE and its relevance to professional identity development.