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Introduction: Simulation training on high-fidelity simulated models have been used to provide a safe and effective training platform for dental students to develop the skills necessary to treat patients. To surpass challenges of traditional pedagogies in simulation training and reinforce self-directed learning, a bespoke computer application, PerioPal, was designed to complement training of dental students in periodontal instrumentation., Materials and Methods: This study evaluated the impact of PerioPal on a cohort of 92 second-year dental students at an Australian University. During the first semester in 2019, they received traditional simulation periodontal instrumentation training (control semester). In the following semester, PerioPal was implemented as a technological teaching adjunct (intervention semester). Student perceptions of their learning experiences were gathered through a qualitative and quantitative questionnaire. Impact on student performance was evaluated through comparing periodontal instrumental assessment results in control and interventionsemesters., Results: With introduction of PerioPal, students perceived that the simulation clinic learning environment, better contributed to the speed at which they learnt new instrumentation as well as being able to self-pace their work. They commented that instructional videos and independent learning were most beneficial. Interestingly, students suggested that PerioPal aided their preparation for theoretical assessments more than their practical assessments. After introduction of PerioPal a minor improvement of average practical assessment marks was observed but could not be statistically confirmed as significant., Conclusion: Although the computer-supported learning did not lead to improvement of the students' practical performance a positive effect on the student self-paced learning experience and engagement in simulated environment were observed., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Having insight into final year dental students' career planning is vital in maintaining and enhancing the quality of dental education. The aim of this study was to investigate final year dental students' career plans, work patterns, work-life balance and domestic life, in New Zealand and Australia., Methods: The design of the study was a two-centred cross-sectional study., Results: A total of 148 students, including 95 females (64%) and 53 males (36%), completed the survey (response rate = 87%). The mean age of students across two Australasian universities was 23 ± 3 years. Findings from this study demonstrate that students prefer their first job is an urban, full-time and salary-based with a good mentor. However, when describing their long-term planning, work-life balance becomes more important. The growth in the number of female dentists will continue to shape the future patterns of our dental profession., Conclusion: The current study has highlighted several similarity and differences in career plans, work patterns, work-life balance and domestic life between two Australasian universities. The information might be useful for the policymakers involved in future workforce planning and infrastructure and for those involved in the delivery of dental education., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: To determine whether discontinuing the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admissions Test (UMAT) in 2011 for selection and changes to the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) requirements in 2012 when the new Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) was introduced impacted on students' accumulative level of achievement and performance in the Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH) programme., Methods: Board of Examiner's course results for end of year performance were collected for BOH cohorts from 2006 to 2017 (n = 347). Overall performance and achievement level attained were calculated and formed the dependent variables, Performance and Achievement. Group-based trajectory modelling (GBTM) characterised trajectories of yearly academic achievement and the likelihood of each case belonging to the latent group classified as individual group membership. Chi-square (or Fischer's exact) tests were conducted on groups and selected independent variables, using SAS 9.4., Results: A 2-group academic Performance trajectory was selected as Consistent (n = 290; 83.6%) and Inconsistent (n = 57; 16.4%), and Achievement level (credit number) trajectory as Low (n = 154; 44.4%) and High (n = 193; 55.6%). Statistically significant findings in relation to achievement level were found; female students, those who enrolled after UMAT was discontinued, students enrolled since SACE changes, and those who nominated BOH as their first career preference, were more likely to achieve higher grades than their counterparts., Conclusion: Discontinuing the UMAT for selection and SACE changes have shown no adverse changes in students' level of achievement in the BOH programme, although enrolling in a course not their first preference was shown to affect performance level., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The Australian Dental Council's (ADC) competency framework requires graduating dental practitioners to be competent in a number of transferable skills, which includes: being scientifically versed, technically skilled and capable of safe independent work and teamwork, whilst adhering to high ethical standards (Australian Dental Council. Professional Competencies of the Newly Qualified Dentist. Melbourne, Australia: ADC; 2016). Part of the role of dental educators is to ensure graduating students acquire requisite transferable skills, in line with regulatory requirements (Chuenjitwongsa et al. Eur J Dent Educ. 2018;22:1). In order to achieve this, it is imperative to assess students' own understanding or perception of transferable skill requirement upon graduation. The objective of this study was to develop a valid and reliable scale for this assessment., Method: A cohort of students drawn across three different dental programmes: undergraduate dentistry (years 1-3); post-graduate dentistry (years 4-5); and Bachelor of Dental Technology/Prosthesis, participated in this study. A self-assessment questionnaire containing relevant open- and closed-ended questions was administered. The questionnaire assessed students' perception of transferable skills for their future career and attitude towards learning and developing transferable skills., Result: In total, we successfully assessed 388 of the 391 students sampled (99.2% response rate), their mean age was 24.3 years (SD ± 5.7), and 53.3% were females, whilst 46.7% were males. Overall, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) extracted five factors for students' perception of current skill level, and four factors for future skill requirements. The factor structures were confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the structure had a good model fit and high levels of reliability, with respect to individual dimension and content validity., Conclusions: The structure derived from the transferable skill survey administered to a cohort of dental students suggests that the transferable skill survey can be utilised as a valid and reliable screening tool to test students' perception of transferable skill requirements., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Learning through international experience has been well documented in USA literature, yet not well explored in Australia. The aim of this study is to understand Australian dental students' experiences and perceptions of international dental experience by: (i) capturing past participation; (ii) identifying potential interests for participants who have not been on a trip and (iii) ascertaining perceived benefits of the trip/s., Materials and Methods: A 19 question paper survey was distributed to 310 eligible undergraduate dental students of The University of Queensland (UQ). An online counterpart survey was created via Google Forms and promoted on relevant Facebook groups targeted at current dental students of UQ., Results: A total of 203 of the 310 eligible UQ undergraduate dental students responded to the distributed paper and electronic surveys making the response rate 65.5%. A total of 13 undergraduate respondents participated in an international experience trip. The majority of respondents who had not participated in an international dental experience trip were interested in participating in one. Education (84.6%) and improved dental skills (84.6%) were the most reported perceived benefits by the students who had participated in an international dental experience., Conclusion: A majority of respondents were interested in participating in international dental experiences. Despite this, only 1 in 15 respondents had participated in an international dental experience. Further exploration of this concept is needed; however, dental schools within Australia could potentially explore integration of international short-term dental experiences into formal curricula in the future., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Self-assessment is an important introspective skill that dental professionals will utilise throughout their professional career. Its value lies in its ability to help individuals identify areas of strengths and weakness, and subsequently seek further development of professional skills where needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between self-assessed confidence and the assessment grade of final year dental students based on the professional attributes and competencies of newly qualified dentists outlined by the Australian Dental Council (ADC)., Methods: Ethical approval was obtained prior to distribution of a questionnaire with 45 statements to final year dental students. The survey was created based on the learning outcomes of the ADC guidelines in the domains of "scientific and clinical knowledge" and "patient care." Participants indicated their level of self-assessed confidence by marking "X" on a visual analogue scale (VAS) from zero ("No Confidence") to 10 cm ("Very Confident"). The assessment grade was based on OSCE, viva voce, case report and written paper., Results: A total of 58 (71.6%) dental students participated in the survey. The reported self-assessed confidence over two domains were under "patient care": clinical information gathering 8.92 ± 1.07 cm (range =3.94-10.0 cm: n = 58; 100%), clinical diagnosis and management planning 8.26 ± 1.34 cm (range =0.50-9.95 cm: n = 55; 94.8%), clinical treatment and evaluation, 6.07 ± 1.69 cm (range =0-10.00 cm: n = 55; 94.8%), and "scientific and clinical knowledge": 6.98 ± 1.58 cm (range =0-10.00 cm: n = 58; 100.0%). Within these categories, high confidence was reported for routine dental care (caries management and preventive care) whilst lower confidence was reported for the management of oral medicine and pathologies, dental emergencies, trauma, paediatric dentistry and prosthodontics. Correlation between the assessment grade and the overall score of self-assessed confidence is low positive (r = .225) and not statistically significant (n = 46; P = .132, Spearman'sρ)., Conclusions: The final year dental students appear to have good overall self-assessed confidence in core areas of general dentistry. However, confidence seems to be over-estimated when compared with summative assessment., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: The challenges in the recruitment and retention of dentists in rural Australia have contributed to a lack of dental service provision to rural communities. This paper explores the workforce factors involved in the employment location decisions of dentists' post-graduation., Materials and Methods: Graduates between 2009 and 2013 from the University of Sydney, Dental School, were asked to complete a telephone interview related to their employment history. A total of 135 interviews were conducted, with 63% (135/214) of contactable graduates, or 33.4% (135/404) of all the graduates (2009-2013). Interviews followed a semi-structured script., Results: Key factors which positively impacted on rural employment included the following: job competition in metropolitan areas, good rural salaries, financial incentives, clinical experience, rural lifestyle and professional mentorship. Barriers were as follows: proximity to friends and family, building a social and professional network, isolation, less professional support and reduced access to education., Conclusion: Recommendations to increase rural employment include: competitive rural salaries, financial incentives and formal mentorship during both recruitment and integration into a rural community. Dental schools should consider advertising identified drivers of rural employment, namely good salaries, full-time employment, clinical experience and rural lifestyle. This study provides important information related to rural employment and rural retention., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: The aim of this survey was to determine whether forensic odontology forms part of the basic dental programme in the nine Australian dental schools, which aspects of forensic odontology were taught, and the barriers and issues that prevent forensic odontology being part of any dental curriculum. The survey also examines the teaching of cranio-facial anatomy and dental record-keeping, as these two subjects can play an important role in forensic odontology., Materials and Methods: Study design and participants: A postal questionnaire survey on the teaching of forensic odontology was conducted between November 2016 and April 2017, being sent to the dean of school, head of school, or acting head of school, each representing the nine Australian dental schools. The paper questionnaire consisted of eight questions requesting information concerning whether or not the dental school has faculty staff who are registered forensic odontologists or registered general dentists with a forensic odontology postgraduate qualification, and how many hours of teaching (including lectures and practicals) were dedicated to cranio-facial anatomy and dental record-keeping., Results: Five out of nine dental schools replied to the questionnaire. This gives a response rate of 55.56%. Staff members: Four dental schools had at least one or more forensically trained staff members. Only one dental school did not have a staff member who is trained in forensic odontology. Cranio-facial anatomy: Three out of the five dental schools responded that each of the cranio-facial anatomy lecture and practical programmes were more than 16 hours each throughout the whole dental programme, whereas the other two dental schools responded that each of the lecture and practical programmes were between 7 and 11 hours. Dental record-keeping: All five dental schools responded that the lecture hours dedicated to dental record-keeping are between 1 and 6 hours throughout the whole dental programme. For the practical sessions, three out of the five dental schools responded that the hours dedicated are between 1 and 6 hours. Teaching of forensic odontology: Three out of the five dental schools responded that forensic odontology is taught as part of a dental subject in the dental programme, with the total hours dedicated to the teaching being between 1 and 6 hours, with teaching being delivered in the form of lectures only. Two of the five dental schools that did not teach forensic odontology as part of any dental subjects mentioned that the main reason for not teaching forensic odontology is due to lack of teaching time., Conclusion: This is the first Australian project investigating the teaching of forensic odontology in Australian dental schools. The authors found that three dental schools teach forensic odontology; however, it is limited to only 1 to 6 hours of teaching time. All five dental schools teach extensively into cranio-facial anatomy and dental record-keeping. However, as one of the recognised dental specialities in Australia, and the role it plays in justice, human rights and humanitarianism, all Australian dental schools should provide an opportunity for students to learn and be aware of forensic odontology as part of their training programmes, which include the importance of accurate dental records and its application to forensic odontology., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)