Perceived Competency in Fourth Year Dental Students at UL

The Dental School at the University of Limpopo (UL) is in the process of preparing students for the year of integrated clinical dentistry. Learners in this year are regarded as entry-level professionals who are required to develop self-appraisal skills. Self-reported achievement of competency by learners has been reported as a reasonable yardstick by which the efficacy of a new curriculum can be evaluated. Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the perceived levels of competency as reported by the learners at the end of the first semester of the final year of discipline-driven training (BDS 4). Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was distributed to the learners in the new curriculum BDS 4 (n=31) at the end of the first semester of the final year of discipline-driven learning. Sections one and two of the questionnaire listed the core competencies of the UL Dental Graduate and the global competencies for dental practice, respectively. The competencies were to be rated on a 5-point Likert scale: 1(not at all competent) to 5 (very competent). Section three contained a visual analogue scale that measured the students' perception of overall preparedness for the year of integrated clinical dentistry. The fourth section invited any comments that the learners felt they would like to make. Results: The response rate was 84%. The competencies with the highest mean scores (greater than 4) were taking an adequate general and oral health history(4.4), recognising and treating caries(4.4), giving dental health education to a patient (4.2), and implementing infection control policies/procedures (4.3). The learners felt least competent (less than 2) in designing and delivering partial dentures and crown and bridgework. Overall preparedness was rated at 2.6. Conclusions: Continuous self-assessment of competence by learners is essential for quality assurance purposes and for informing faculty of additional development required by learners.