Timothy A. Smith

A survey of resident selection procedures in oral and maxillofacial surgery

PURPOSE This study was conducted to analyze the current procedures used in oral and maxillofacial surgery resident selection, to compare these selection procedures with those used 2 decades ago, to determine whether any differences exist in the selection procedures between 4-year certificate programs and programs that offer formal medical education, and to provide criteria to assist in the counseling of dental students on the application process for oral and maxillofacial surgery residencies. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Questionnaires were sent to the 106 oral and maxillofacial surgery graduate training programs accredited by the American Dental Association. To provide for a more direct comparison to the study completed in 1976, the current questionnaire was developed, using the original survey as a model. It was divided into 5 sections: general information, information obtained from the formal application and letters of recommendation, the interview, the decision process, and a retrospective view of past decisions. The results were tabulated and the Pearson chi-square test was used to determine statistical significance when comparing the 4-year certificate programs to the programs that offer formal medical education. RESULTS Seventy-one responses (75.5%) from nonmilitary programs were returned and analyzed. Thirty-nine responses represented dual-degree (MD) programs. Factors that were considered very important when judging a candidates written application included dental school class rank (76.1%), dental school basic science grades (70.4%), and dental school clinical grades (63.4%). Dual-degree programs placed a greater emphasis on predental basic science grades (P < .01) and dental national board scores (P < .05). When asked about prior resident selection, 86.7% of the respondents said they would select 80% of their former residents again. In addition, 89.9% of the respondents were satisfied with their current selection process. CONCLUSIONS The procedures used to select oral and maxillofacial surgery residents are relatively constant among programs. Although the dual-degree and 4-year certificate programs use the same criteria for resident selection, the dual-degree programs place greater emphasis on predental academic performance and on the results of the national dental boards. Criteria used 22 years ago to select residents are still applicable, but there has been a shift in the importance of some variables.

Method for Evaluating Patient Anxiety and the Interpersonal Effectiveness of Dental Personnel: An Exploratory Study

This study with 22 dental hygienists and 109 patients indicates that the personality of the dental professional has an effect on patient anxiety.

CLOPPE - educational software integration for effective classroom instruction

AbstractThe utilization of microcomputers in the public schools has increased the growth and development of computer-assisted instruction software. Educational software is improving in quality and quantity, but teachers and administrators continue to question the applicability and use of software, and its relationship to the objectives of the textbook, teacher’s lesson, and designed curriculum. A review of the literature reveals needed attention to effective software use in the classroom. CLOPPE is a software integration tool that enables the school official to align the objectives of the software with the objectives of the school curriculum. Cost-effectiveness for school officials and enhanced learning experiences for students and teachers will result from pre-assessment of the educational software through CLOPPE.