information statement bridging programmes for dentists

INFORMATION STATEMENT
BRIDGING PROGRAMMES FOR DENTISTS
ACADEMIC REFRESHER PROGRAMME FOR DENTISTS
(OTDE1)
PREAMBLE
This specification describes the requirements for the theoretical portion of an advanced
refresher programme for trained dental graduates.
The refresher programme is a bridging course for dental graduates.
Each dental graduate must hold an appropriate dental qualification. The dental graduate must
also have passed or been exempted from an English examination approved by the University of
Otago.
Note: Those students wishing to go forward to the Dental Council of New Zealand
registration examinations MUST contact the DCNZ regarding their entry requirements.
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES
• This refresher programme will focus on the knowledge and skills required for a dental
graduate to practise safely and competently in New Zealand.
• The programme will include Basic Clinical Sciences and will include the main
clinical areas, including but not limited to Dental Materials, Oral Biology, Clinical
Anatomy, Oral Microbiology, Oral Diagnosis, Pharmacology, Oral Pathology,
Conditions of Practice and areas of dental medicine relevant to practice in New Zealand
such as communication skills, medico-legal issues and Maori and Pacific people health
issues.
• This refresher programme will be delivered partly in Auckland and partly in Dunedin.
The programme, will be based on a combination of lectures, written materials and
assignments.
• Visiting lecturers will travel to Auckland over a four-month period to provide regular
lectures and seminars to support the written material and assignments.
• The programme will also include some web-based teaching.

• This period of four months delivered in Auckland will be followed by a two-week in
house concentrated programme to be held in Dunedin at the School of Dentistry.
• Both the assignments and the final written assessment will be designed to give feedback
to the dental graduate on their areas of relative strength and weakness.
• The dental graduate will then have a period of review, self-study at the University of
Otago Dental Library, with some tutorial support.
• It is expected that this part of the programme will require a full-time commitment from
the dental graduate.
The duration of this section of the refresher programme will be as follows:
• Auckland Campus based teaching with Visiting Lecturers including web-based learning
4 months
• Dunedin based Lecture Programme
2 weeks
• Written assessment at the end of the two week lecture programme
An overall pass mark of 50% is required for the student to successfully complete this section.

CLINICAL PRACTICE REFRESHER PROGRAMME FOR
DENTISTS (OTDE2)
PREAMBLE
This specification describes the requirements for the clinical portion of an advanced refresher
programme for dental graduates.
The refresher programme is a bridging programme for dental graduates.
The dental graduate must also have satisfactory completed the Academic Refresher Programme
for dentists (OTDE1) which is a pre-requisite for entry into this Clinical Practice Refresher
Programme.
Note: Those students wishing to go forward to the Dental Council of New Zealand
registration examinations MUST contact the DCNZ regarding their entry requirements.
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES
• This refresher programme will focus on the knowledge and skills required for a dental
graduate to practise safely and competently in New Zealand.
• The programme will follow on from the academic refresher programme for overseas
trained dentists (OTDE1).
• The programme will include Clinical Practice and will include the main clinical topics,
including but not limited to Operative Dentistry, Fixed Prosthodontics, Endodontics,
Paediatric Dentistry, Periodontology, Partial Dentures, Oral Medicine and Dental Public
Health, Dental Radiography, Orthodontics, Oral Surgery and areas of dental medicine
relevant to practice in New Zealand such as communication skills, medico-legal issues and
Maori and Pacific health issues.
• This programme aims to provide a broad-based review of clinical aspects of general
dentistry at an undergraduate level through seminars, demonstrations and hands-on
practical experience using simulation.
• This ten-week programme will be delivered in Dunedin at the University of Otago School
of Dentistry.
•
– The first segment will be an initial 2 week self-directed study, which will link into a
modular introduction to the programme lasting three weeks. This will be followed by a
two-week seminar-based component to be delivered in Dunedin. A three-week
simulation component will follow.
– Candidates are expected to complete self-assessment tasks before being able to
progress to the patient contact component of the programme, which will take two
weeks to complete.
• It is expected that this component would require a full-time commitment from the
participants.