PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D A Shugars

Publications and source records attributed to D A Shugars.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Professional satisfaction among California general dentists.

Dentists' assessments of their jobs provide insights about issues in the dental profession needing attention. This study assessed professional satisfaction among 558 California general dentists using the 54-item, multi-faceted Dentist Satisfaction Survey (DSS). Although dentists tended to be satisfied with various facets of their jobs and careers, substantial variation in the levels of satisfaction was noted. The most satisfied dentists were older, reported higher incomes, attended more continuing education, and employed more dental auxiliaries than dentists who were the most dissatisfied. Fifty-eight percent of the variation in overall job satisfaction was explained by quality of nonwork life and satisfaction with five facets of the profession: respect received from being a dentist, the actual process of delivering care, income derived from dentistry, relationships with patients, and reduced levels of job-related stress. Dentists were most dissatisfied with the threat of malpractice, level of income, demands of managing the practice, and amount of personal time. Professional organizations should direct programs to address these issues. Dental educators should use these findings to counsel predoctoral students about the realities of dental practice and as an outcome measure of their programs. Moreover, these findings document the perceptions of the practicing profession and support several components of the SELECT recruitment strategy.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Registered dental hygienists as dental students.

Surveys were conducted to (1) investigate how and why dental hygienists choose to become dentists, (2) evaluate their success in dental school, (3) assess the experience of those who had entered dental school, and (4) gauge the level of interest among dental hygienists and currently enrolled dental hygiene students in applying to dental school. Records of former dental hygienists who had earned a dental degree indicated that the majority performed above class averages and that none withdrew or were dismissed from school. Those enrolled in dental school agreed that prior dental hygiene experience was an asset in laboratory and clinical work; they were less certain about any academic advantage. Registered and student dental hygienists generally agreed on the attractive and unattractive aspects of becoming a dentist. Major attractions cited were increased earnings and independence; major drawbacks were the costs of dental education and stress associated with being a dentist. Those with baccalaureate degrees showed more interest in becoming dentists than did those with associate degrees. Dental schools should give dental hygienists positive consideration as applicants and advanced placement as students. In view of the observed interest in career change, dental hygiene and dental programs are encouraged to develop more sensitive career counseling.

Career Choice↗
PubMed1984

The challenge of a total patient care system in dental education: the University of North Carolina experience.

Since its introduction, the UNC total patient care system has undergone an interesting evolution. In response to current reviews the system is preparing for innovations designed to enhance the delivery of care and maximize the student educational experience within the context of available resources. We hope these principles will serve as guidelines for future modifications.

Comprehensive Dental Care↗
PubMed1984

Acquisition of psychomotor skills in dentistry: a follow-up study.

After promising results were achieved with an experimental method for teaching the acquisition of psychomotor skills to dental students, a long-term follow-up study evaluated the lasting effects of that method using preclinical and clinical grades, as well as an assessment of students' clinical technical performance. Though the experimental teaching method had a significant effect on student performance in the initial preclinical activities, the differences between the control and experimental groups diminished as the students progressed through subsequent preclinical courses. No significant differences were found in measures obtained during the clinical years.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1982

Student self-evaluation in preclinical restorative dentistry.

In this study an instrument for assessing student self-evaluation skills was developed and refined. Using this instrument, the relationship between student self-evaluation skills and psychomotor skill performance was assessed for freshman dental students in a preclinical restorative dentistry laboratory. While previous research suggests that student self-evaluation skills are positively correlated with technical skills, the results of this study indicate that students' technical skills, as evidenced by the faculty-assigned practical grades, did not differentiate students' self-evaluation skills (p less than .05). In addition, student grades did not differentiate the students' ability to recognize errors. Using this investigative method, no relationship emerged between students' self-evaluation skills and technical skills. Finally, this self-evaluation instrument appears to be an excellent way to reveal to faculty those aspects of psychomotor skill development that need to be emphasized.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1981

A fitness course for dental students.

A great deal has been written about the hazards of dental practice and the stressful nature of dental school. While efforts are underway to assist practitioners in stress management and general health improvement, little work has been done with dental students. Dental educators should assist students in managing dental school pressures and in preparing for the potential burdens of practice. This paper describes an elective course that is designed to create student awareness of the potential adverse effects of dental school and dental practice, and of methods to avoid and cope with such problems. A detailed course outline and results from one- and two-year course evaluations are included.

Humans↗
PubMed1981

Acquisition of psychomotor skills in dentistry: an experimental teaching method.

Acquisition of psychomotor skills is one of the most important educational tasks in dental education; yet, there has been little systematic research in this area. This investigation compared a traditional method of teaching psychomotor skills with an experimental method. The investigation was conducted in a preclinical restorative dentistry laboratory course. Eighty-eight freshman students were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 44) or control group (n = 44); instructors (n = 4) were randomly assigned to each group. The control group was taught using the traditional method used at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry at Chapel Hill; the experimental group was taught using a guided systematic approach that relied on detailed checklists and exhaustive faculty feedback. Dependent variables measured were quality of performance on laboratory practical examinations, time required to complete practical examinations, and time required to complete the course. Results suggest that this experimental approach has promise for psychomotor skill teaching and learning in dentistry.

Education, Dental↗
PubMed1981

Comprehensive evaluation in a preclinical restorative dentistry technique course.

The student evaluation system in a preclinical technique course serves several important functions. This paper describes an evaluation system that has been used for three years. Designed to evaluate student performance in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains, the system maximizes characteristics of formative evaluation and uses multiple forms of assessment to evaluate competency. Further, specific provisions have been made to ensure timely and detailed feedback and opportunities for remediation. Over the past three years, student and faculty review of this system has been positive.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed1979

Effectiveness of project ACORDE materials: applied evaluative research in a preclinical technique course.

Two instructional strategies, the traditional lecture method and a standardized self-instructional (ACORDE) format, were compared for efficiency and perceived usefulness in a preclinical restorative dentistry technique course through the use of a posttest-only control group research design. Control and experimental groups were compared on (a) technique grades, (b) didactic grades, (c) amount of time spent, (d) student and faculty perceptions, and (e) observation of social dynamics. The results of this study demonstrated the effectiveness of Project ACORDE materials in teaching dental students, provided an example of applied research designed to test contemplated instructional innovations prior to use and used a method which highlighted qualitative, as well as quantitative, techniques for data gathering in applied research.

Attitude↗