Dental education under the spotlight
"Improving the standards of oral healthcare for dental patients across Europe through quality assurance and co-ordination of European dental education" was the focus of a major international conference held in early February, co-hosted by the General...
"Improving the standards of oral healthcare for dental patients across Europe through quality assurance and co-ordination of European dental education" was the focus of a major international conference held in early February, co-hosted by the General Dental Council (GDC) and DentEdEvolves, a pan-European educational project funded by the European Union.
The GDC in London was the venue for 86 representatives from 23 European countries (including ten EU accession states) and the USA to come together for this landmark event, "Dental Education - Accreditation and Convergence in Europe," to discuss European convergence in accrediting standards of dental education.
The aim was to promote a common approach to dental education across Europe, based on peer influence and embracing the scope and depth of a modern dental degree programme.
A number of key educational initiatives were taken forward at the conference. Delegates endorsed proposals towards reaching a commonly agreed core undergraduate dental curriculum for Europe.
The University of Malta was represented at the conference by Professor J.M. Portelli, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, Professor M.T. Camilleri Podestà, Head of the Department of Anatomy, and Dr A. Cassar from the Department of Dental Surgery.
The co-host and president of the GDC, Professor Nairn Wilson, commented: "This special meeting was extremely constructive, furthering important work towards ensuring consistently high standards of European dental education in the interests of strengthening dental patient care. The profession is to be congratulated on promoting a global system for dental education."