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news 4 Dental Accreditation: Why We Take It So Seriously At this writing, the School of Dentistry’s accreditation site visit — scheduled for April 12-14, 2005 — is fast approaching. Dorothy Perry, Assistant Dean for Curricular Affairs, is leading the school’s accreditation preparation. She heads the Accreditation Steering Committee, which is preparing the self-study documents. Members of the committee will meet with a pair of consultants this coming fall to finalize those documents. The consultants will also tour school facilities, review patient care services, analyze goals and outcome measures, and help the committee strategize on the best approach for the final few months leading up to the site visit. CODA’s Charge Every seven years, the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) visits each U.S. dental school to ensure that it is meeting established standards for dental education institutions. According to the website of the American Dental Association (ADA), CODA’s mission “...is to serve the public by establishing, maintaining and applying standards that ensure the quality and continuous improvement of dental and dental-related education and reflect the evolving practice of dentistry.” The site visit allows the CODA-appointed team to assess the school’s compliance with both the accreditation standards as well as with our own stated goals and objectives. The site visit complements the information that we will present to CODA in the comprehensive self-study document. Positive Outcomes of the Accreditation Process The entire process of preparing for accreditation has a positive impact on the school. This is a time for self-examination, during which we review our approaches to teaching, patient care, outcomes and facilities, and ensure that we are maintaining fidelity to our mission. For this reason, we take the accreditation process very seriously, and view the current phase of self-study as one in which we can honestly review our performance and strategize for the future. Benefits of a Positive Site Visit Areas resulting in a commendation from CODA have a positive impact on the school for years. There are several fortuitous results that can arise from a favorable site visit: � Positive public perception. The American Dental Association website lists the current accreditation status of all dental schools. Being listed as an accredited institution engenders confidence among not only current faculty, staff and students, but also prospective faculty, students, patients and alumni. � Morale boost. Commendations are a positive reflection on the school, and should be celebrated by all faculty, staff, students and alumni. � Positive effects on alumni/donors. A successfully accredited institution sends a signal to alumni and other donors that they are in full compliance with nationwide standards, and that they are doing a wonderful job of educating the next generation of oral health care practitioners. I truly feel that the accreditation process should be viewed as a positive exercise. It gives us the opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments and promote change and growth. If you have questions about accreditation, please contact Dr. Perry or me. — Dean Charles Bertolami
feature > > > TEACHING Makeover Extensive equipment upgrades comprising the first two phases of the Preclinical Lab Modernization have changed the DDS learning experience. But the modifications are not complete, and the School must raise an additional $2 million to finish the job. Second-year dental student* Mark Graham sits among more than 75 of his Class of 2006 classmates in the Preclinical Lab in the Dental Clinics Building (at 707 Parnassus Avenue) for their Removable Partial Denture Design class, RD 125.10c. The course is led by Associate Clinical Professor Mark Dellinges (D’81) with help from six other professors. Over the next four hours, Mark Graham and the other D2s will survey and design two casts of partially edentulous arches requiring removable partial dentures. > > > *Mark Graham (inset above) was still a D2 student when this article was researched. He, along with the rest of the Class of 2006, has since moved on to his third year as a DDS student. 5
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