Findings from our thematic review on preparedness for practice

Today we published the findings from our first education quality assurance thematic review, which focuses on the preparedness for practice of UK trained dental students at graduation.

As part of our updated approach to quality assurance of education and training, we have introduced thematic reviews, which are designed to examine broad cross-sector issues.

This first review includes an independent rapid evidence assessment, focusing on the subject of preparedness, following concerns raised by stakeholders in recent years. While finding areas where preparedness could be enhanced, the review found no evidence to suggest graduates are unsafe.

Some key findings were:

• Both trainees and supervisors feel there should be more clinical experience at undergraduate level, although the review found there are barriers which prevent this from happening.
• There is no evidence to suggest graduates are unsafe.
• Supervisors and trainees have different expectations when it comes to new dentists’ skills and abilities.
• There may not always be shared understanding around what a safe beginner looks like.

Head of Education Policy and Quality Assurance at the GDC, Ross Scales, said:

"While inspections remain an important part of how we assure the quality of education and training for individual programmes, thematic reviews provide a new and useful tool, enabling us to more effectively look at wider issues. This review provides valuable, evidence-based insights into a critical issue.

A shared understanding of what we mean by ‘safe beginner’ is clearly very important and we will be looking at how we can better define this to ensure a common view. The findings around the amount of undergraduate experience, particularly for complex skills development and the use of ‘real world’ settings, are equally valuable and I look forward to working with our partners in education to explore how changes could be made to improve the preparedness of new dentists."

You can read the full report and rapid evidence assessment, in our research section.