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Initiatives Inspired by Predoctoral Education Congress

The Academy has implemented initiatives to reduced dues for full-time periodontal faculty, develop an education resource portal, and sponsor a predoctoral program directors organization.

Last July, the Academy hosted its Predoctoral Periodontal Education Congress in Chicago, Illinois. This landmark event convened predoctoral periodontal program directors from 52 U.S. and Canadian dental schools for a two-day interactive workshop to discuss the current and future landscape of predoctoral periodontal education, and how the Academy can assist in providing high-quality periodontal education to dental students. In convening the Congress, the Academy also hoped to raise enthusiasm and visibility for periodontics, and increase understanding of the Academy’s educational initiatives.

One unique aspect of the Congress as compared to other invitation-only meetings sponsored by the Academy is that all participants had the opportunity to discuss all three topic areas: Motivation and Resources, the Predoc Clinic, and Content and Delivery. At the end of each session, the groups were given a “call to action,” and were asked to identify items for the Academy and the educational system that would have a positive impact on the content area being discussed.

During the closing plenary session, predoctoral periodontal directors prioritized the action items using an anonymous audience response system. In total, Congress participants voted on the priority for 29 action items identified for the Academy, and 21 identified for the educational system. These priority items were then forwarded to the Academy’s Education Committee, who then made recommendations to the Board of Trustees on moving forward. As a result, the Board of Trustees approved the concepts and committed resources for the following:

Reduced dues for full-time periodontal faculty. The Board of Trustees approved a 25 percent dues reduction for Active Academy members who are full-time periodontal faculty as defined by their teaching institution and certified by the periodontal department chairs. This dues reduction was instituted with the 2006 dues cycle.

An education resource portal. The primary thrust of numerous high-priority items discussed at the Congress focused on the delivery of materials to assist predoctoral educators. The Education Committee recommended to the Board of Trustees that a Web-based education resource portal be implemented for the purpose of facilitating information sharing among and between educators. Accessed through the Academy’s Web site, the portal will allow educators to upload their own materials and download materials posted by others in several different formats, including clinical photos, video clips, documents, and presentations. Materials will be categorized by content area, such as mentoring, faculty calibration, competency evaluation, problem-based learning, or any number of other broad categories. This portal will also provide an e-mail list subscription service to allow educators to be notified when new materials are posted, and to communicate as needed among themselves. The Academy envisions the portal will go live by late summer 2006. During the Predoctoral Educators’ Workshop at the 2006 Annual Meeting, a presentation of the live portal will be provided to inform predoctoral educators how to use this resource.

Predoctoral Program Directors Organization. The Education Committee felt that it was important to maintain the enthusiasm and enhanced communication between predoctoral periodontal program directors and the Academy that resulted from the Congress. Therefore, the Committee recommended the development of the Predoctoral Directors Organization (PDO), similar to the already established Organization of Postdoctoral Periodontal Program Directors (PD2). Beginning in 2006, the organization will meet each year at the Academy’s Annual Meeting for a luncheon and business meeting. This forum will provide the predoctoral periodontal program directors and the Academy with an annual opportunity to discuss current issues that pertain to the state of periodontal education and practice. The main focus will be on fostering communication between the Academy educators, as well as discussing topics of interest to the organization.

The AAP Predoctoral Periodontal Education Congress was a productive and informative meeting. Participants’ suggestions for how the Academy can assist in providing a higher quality of periodontal education to dental students were instrumental in charting a course and setting priorities for Academy initiatives. A similar event focusing on the needs of postdoctoral periodontal educators is planned for 2007.

The Academy will continue to dedicate its efforts to support predoctoral educators’ needs, and will work diligently to provide the resources to ensure the success of these exceptional dental educators. A copy of the 2005 Predoctoral Periodontal Education Congress Final Report was developed and mailed to all Congress participants.

For more information on the Predoctoral Periodontal Education Congress, contact Meghan O’Malley, manager, Education Programs (telephone 800/282-4867 ext. 3246 or 312/573-3246; e-mail meghan@perio.org).

Initiatives Inspired by Predoctoral Education Congress

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