Objectives: To compare student clinical experience over four dental curricula, discipline based care (set requirements, R), comprehensive care (no set requirements, NR), patient centered care (hybrid, combination of requirements and comprehensive care, H) and H with externship (hybrid plus experience outside the on campus dental school clinics, HE) using electronic data.
Methods: Standardized reports using electronic health care data over a 21 year period (1991-2012) were generated. Reports captured students (n=1614) two year clinical experience, third and fourth years, at UCSF School of Dentistry, for production in equivalent amount (Eq Amt=dollars), patient visits (PV), and relative value units (RVU= 1 hour of work). All generated reports were run using current year (2012) standardized criteria for Eq Amt, PV and RVU to allow for comparisons to be made over time without needing to adjust for fee differences or changes in definitions of patient visits or relative value units. Average student clinical experience (Eq Amt, PV and RVU) over a two year period per student for R (years 1991-1994), NR (1995-2004), H (2005-2012) and HE (2005-2012) were statistically analyzed using ANOVA with post hoc test (p<0.05).
Results: Average student clinical experience for each curriculum were:
Curricula Eq Amt PV RVU
R 33,770+5,217 374+76 965+80
NR 56,320+5,655 430+58 1,075+135
H 45,710+5,595 335+26 776+152
HE 75,500+11,210 550+65 1,085+95
There were statistical differences in student clinical experience in all curricula. For Eq Amt R≠H≠NR≠HE, for PV R≠HE for RVU H≠R. Conclusions: Externship provides a significant amount of student clinical experience, overall patient centered care with externship (hybrid with externship) provides the most amount of student clinical experience, followed by comprehensive care (no requirements), discipline based care (requirements) and patient centered care without externship.
