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| EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2015 | Volume
: 2
| Issue : 4 | Page : 151-152 |
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Dental education and administration: A desideratum in dental tutelage
Mohammed Nadeem Bijle
Executive Editor, Journal of Dental Research and Review, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Sciences, Division of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| Date of Web Publication | 17-Feb-2016 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Mohammed Nadeem Bijle
Executive Editor, Journal of Dental Research and Review, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Sciences, Division of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2348-2915.176677
How to cite this article:
Bijle MN. Dental education and administration: A desideratum in dental tutelage. J Dent Res Rev 2015;2:151-2 |
"Every work of science great enough to be well remembered for a few generations affords some exemplification of the defective state of the art of reasoning of the time when it was written; and each chief step in science has been a lesson in logic"
-Charles Sanders Peirce
On the edge of closing issue for volume two of Journal of Dental Research and Review, it gives a feeling of an immense achievement for the institute under the aegis of whom the memoir is published as a regular book of facts in dentistry. With few lines quoted by Charles Peirce, I would bring to the notice of readers a very significant topic of discussion which in few countries across the globe needs recognition and value. The theme forms a part of the quote and is known to many but still not in the routine implementation of the existing dental tutelage.
It has been years that dentistry is taught under a different program and not in conjunction with medicine as a branch. In view of same, many disciplines and divisions of dentistry do exist today in the form of specializations and super-specialization. However, these are all core subject information which is dealt with in the system. There is always a managerial hand behind any system that exists in the world, without which its existence and sustenance are questionable. A subject expert with efficient administrative skills can be a right individual for satisfactory operation of the programs. However, these individual develop as a means of experience and subjectivity to situation throughout the career. A formal training over the managerial aspects could polish the skills built within, and an advantage of being a subject expert could stand as a value added. Few countries have adopted the practice and made it as a science mandatory for fellows pursuing education. The branch referred to in discussion could be enunciated as "Dental Education and Administration."
Students interested in developing their career as an academician in dentistry could following specialization take up a term program of dental education. Thereby, they can master the skills of education provision as generally followed in the education system of preprofessional institutes. This seems to be a lacking link between the education providers until date and the understanding of regulatory authorities who develop the system within dentistry. A certification or endorsement from a professional body deeming a personnel fit for teaching purpose in medical sciences would enhance its value. A similar thing can be applied in dentistry affiliated administration.
The institutes throughout the globe should start implementing such specialization units within the schools and make it a mandatory article for getting through the program enrolled. The units should be deployed at an undergraduate level which can provide the students an insight of the subject. The same can be later pursued depending on the interest of individual. In addition, such programs become a binding for pupil interested in dental academics.
The question very well arises as to which topics could be taught to them in such programs. The suggestion that can be given to the query frankly depends upon the country to country regulations for the subject. However, to provide a brief view of the aspect anything and everything which falls within the regulatory capacity of the country for the subject can become a topic to satisfy the learning objective. There are few things in common which can be titles covering the programs such as law and ethics pertaining to dentistry, dental jurisprudence, communication management, behavioral sciences, financial management and accounting, introduction to management sciences, operational management, information system management, research methodology, biostatistics, organization and planning, quality management, public relations, human resource management related to dentistry, dental administration, strategic management, policy development and management, intellectual property rights, dental marketing, and practice management.
Such programs will help not only people in academic setup but also project benefit to commercial business supporting the dental fraternity. In addition, it can also help in governmental activities within the country whereby the policy decision making is an essential commodity. Hence, a desideratum in dental tutelage is a program giving adequate training for dental administration and education. At last, someone should start somewhere to make it a history, so why not begin with an idea and get things into existence for the benefit of the field in which we are serving.
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