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Summary: This article describes the implementation and outcomes of a social work program in a university pediatric dental clinic serving low-income families. The goal was to decrease barriers to dental care access, decrease appointment failure, and improve interprofessional practice (IPP). Funding was obtained through a foundation to hire a social worker and two interns, and cover program costs. A survey identified barriers families faced to obtain and complete pediatric dental care. Residents, dental students, and faculty make referrals to the social workers who intervene to help families overcome challenges for their children's care. Findings: The program started in January 2019 and outcomes are reported through June 2021. The largest barriers families identified were lack of a pediatric dentist near home accepting public insurance (91%), the dentist who saw their child only did exams and cleanings but not fillings (84%), and need for specialized dental care (77%). Five hundred and eleven families were referred to the social workers, most commonly for resources, information or other referrals (30.5%), dental insurance lapse (14.9%), caregiver guidance on oral health (10.6%), mental health concerns (10.4%), and poor treatment compliance (9.6%). Social workers provided 424 interventions, mostly about information regarding community resources (26.8%), transportation issues (15.9%), and telephone consults (14.2%). Appointment failure rates decreased from 17% to 13.5%, while the cancelation rate decreased from 19.2% to 14.3% from January 2019 to June 2021, respectively. Applications: Social workers helped decrease barriers to pediatric dental care, improve attendance to dental appointments, and enhance IPP for pediatric dental residents, students, and faculty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The subinternship is an integral part of the 4th year of medical school. There is little description of innovations aimed at assessing the preparedness and confidence of graduating students as they move on the next step in their training.Description: An innovation including an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) at the conclusion of the subinternship was designed. We focused on key themes of transitions of care, communication within the health care system, and communication with patients and providers.Evaluation: A pre- and postsurvey addressed student self-perceived skill, confidence, and overall perception of importance. Improvement (p< .05) was seen across all themes from pre- to postsurvey, with more favorable scores on the postsurvey.Conclusions: A subinternship innovation including an OSCE was feasible and had a positive effect on student assessment, perception and confidence. As the landscape of medical education evolves, assessing students’ preparedness for residency will become increasingly imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]