National College | الكلية الوطنية-DENTISTRY PROGRAM

DENTISTRY PROGRAM

10-September-2010

Dentistry is expanding and the need for dentists is rather a national emergency that requires designing a curriculum, which orients the college towards the community problems and qualifies the student with the skills of self-directed learning.

The Sudan has been producing health professional for about a century, and dental and oral health and surgery for about 30 years. The difference is clear in the number of dental specialists as compared to general practitioners. The number is not enough not only in the rural areas but even in the capital, and in close vicinity of the Khartoum Dental College and within its teaching hospital. Also very few of those graduates had serious intentions to do postgraduate studies. The curriculum of the, then, only medical college had emphasized the role of general dental practitioner who may work in the capital affluent community.

1. OBJECTIVES

1.1 Objectives of the Program (College)
The objectives of the National College- dentistry program - are to:
1.Emphasize values and ethical heritage of the Sudanese Nation in its curriculum, and follow strategies that lead to strengthening these values, as an important component of the National College philosophy and message.
2.Graduate a dental and oral health professional at the internist levels with strong community orientation and ethical components, and self-directed learning capabilities.
3.Contribute to community development through health services provided in its own health institutions and other institutions co-operating with it, through the following:
(a) partnership in designing health programs and plans, and implement whatever is feasible in utilizing the experience of specialists,
(b) contribution in continuous education through short and long term courses, to improve efficiency of health workers, and,
(c) provision of essential equipments and supplies to improve quality of services, through partnership with the Ministry of Health.
4.Strengthen medical and health research in dentistry and related professions, making use of the National College's accessibility and communication privileges.

1.2 Objectives of the Curriculum (Characteristics of the physiotherapy graduate)
A graduate of the National College Dentistry Program should be able to:
1.Adopt the strategies of the College and abide by its objectives and rules stated in its constitution.
2.Observe in his/her practice, the health professional ethics which agree with the Nation's values, beliefs and norms (as stated by Sudan Medical Council, and Sudan Allied Health Professionals Council), and maintain good and honest relations with his/her patients, their families, his/her colleagues across all sectors involved in health.
3.Diagnose and manage problems of dental and oral health, and pay attention to other health problems prevalent at the level of the individual, family or society, with special emphasis on the nutritional and environmental problems common in developing countries, and plays an active role in health promotion.
4.Integrate basic, community, clinical and physical sciences in solving the individual dental and oral problems
5.Use scientific knowledge in diagnosis and management of dental and oral problems, according to known methods of problem solving and integration, and explains the scientific structural (anatomical), functional (physiological, biochemical), morbid (microbiological, pathological), and therapeutic background related to the problems
6.Manage relevant dental and oral emergencies, and decide and act properly on cases needing referrals to specialized centers or personnel.
7.Accepts to work in all settings according to needs, and act to improve health service delivery systems both quantitatively and qualitatively.
8.Encourage community participation and act in recruiting various sectors in defining health and health-related problems, planning and providing suitable solutions, recognizing the community beliefs, ethics, and traditional practices.
9.Adhere to "health team" approach, acting as an efficient member, and ensuring both effectiveness and homogeneity among the members.
10.Administer a dental and oral health "unit" or "center" efficiently according to scientific, medical, statistical, economic and legal bases.
11.Continue to consider elements of efficiency, costing and economic implications in his/her diagnostic and therapeutic choices, particularly the financial abilities of his/her patients.
12.Acquire the skills of teaching, learning and communication efficiently to carry out his/her duties in health education and in winning the confidence of patients and their families and societies.
13.Acquire the skills of self education (self-directed learning), and contribute to availing opportunities for planning and implementing continuous education activities to upgrade his/her own abilities and those of his/her colleagues in the health team.
14.Carry health or health-related research in dental and oral health, alone or with a health team, using scientific methods known in such activities.
15.Use computer in word processing, statistics and graphics to achieve success in other objectives of his/her career, and skills of computer-assisted presentations.
16.Acquire postgraduate qualification in the discipline of his/her choice, recognizing the needs of the society for certain specialties, particularly general practice and family medicine.

2. EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES

The learning strategies emphasize
(1) early acquisition of basic skills,
(2) student-centered learning, and maximum student responsibility in the learning process,
(3) problem-based and problem-oriented learning,
(4) community–based and community-oriented educational activities,
(5) integration of basic science, community and clinical practice in a multidisciplinary approach,
(6) self- and peer education and evaluation,
(7) team-work approach,
(8) a wide range of electives,
(9) continuous evaluation, and
(10)continuous education.

3. EDUCATIONAL METHODS

The College programs adopt the following methods in the daily activities:
(1) problem oriented education,
(2) seminars and small group discussions,
(3) field practice in rural and primary health care settings and societies not less than 1/5^th of the timetable,
(4) practical sessions (laboratory, clinical) not less than 1/4^th of the curriculum timetable,
(5) lectures -not more than 1/3^rd of the curriculum timetable,
(6) educational assignments, reports and research activities, and
(7) electives -not more than 10% of the curriculum timetable.

4. STRUCTURE OF THE DENTISTRY PROGRAM

The B. D.M.S. program requires five years (10 semesters) divided into three phases: The first three years (Semesters 1-6) are based at the main campus of the College with one or two days off campus in visits to relevant institutions and training facilities. The last two years (Semesters 7-10) are based at clinical training sites, with only one or two days at the main campus. The program schedule therefore involves considerable commitment from students to be on time at the respective sites specified in their daily timetables. Each student should have a functioning e-mail address for last moment changes, a frequent incident in field training programs.
Phases:
Phase 1:Introductory courses and College requirements =Semesters 1
Phase 2: Requirements (cont.)+ Physical therapy sciences =Semesters 2-5
Phase 3: Clinical training =Semesters 6-8