Biomedical subjects

Paula N O'Neill

Publications and source records attributed to Paula N O'Neill.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Matching student personality types and learning preferences to teaching methodologies.

The purpose of this study was to identify teaching styles that complement the learning preferences of undergraduate dental students while enhancing the quality of patient care. A formidable challenge to reform in dental education has been overcoming the resistance by faculty and administration to recommended changes. The organizational structure of dental institutions, with their independent departments, makes obtaining consensus on educational issues difficult. For beneficial change to occur, clear evidence of the benefits to all within the organization must be presented. The objectives of the study were to 1) identify the most common personality types among first- and second-year undergraduate dental students at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI); 2) identify the learning preferences of these personality types; and 3) determine a more effective approach to teaching clinical dentistry based upon student personality types and learning preferences. Four common personality types were identified among respondents: ISTJ, ESFJ, ESTJ, and ISFJ, with a predisposition for Sensing (S) (desire for facts, use of senses) over Intuition (N) (look for possibilities, relationships) and Judging (J) (prefers decisiveness, closure) over Perceiving (P) (desire flexibility, spontaneity). The most common occurring personality type, ISTJ, represents an Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging individual. Specific clinical curricular techniques that would appeal to these common personality types are identified, and an explanation of their benefit is provided. Results of this study demonstrate the importance of faculty understanding and acknowledging different student personality types and related learning preferences as a way to initiate improvement of undergraduate dental education, promote student motivation, and allow for an expression of learning style preference.

Curriculum↗

PubMed2005

A model for clinical credentialing of dental school faculty.

Committed to the premise that the same standards of review for clinical practice may be applied to clinical teaching, The University of Texas Health Science Center Dental Branch at Houston began credentialing clinical faculty in 1997 as part of its quality assurance and risk management program, one of the first dental schools in the country to do so. Credentialing, modeled after health care institutions such as hospitals, is general and procedure-specific involving the review of qualifications such as licensure, training, education, experience, and performance of professional practitioners; measuring those qualifications against pre-established criteria; and granting of "clinical privileges" to clinical faculty to perform or supervise procedures for which they are deemed qualified, based on that review. The development process included the leadership of the Quality Assurance and Risk Management Committee who met with all interested parties, explained the rationale and justification for credentialing, and successfully gained the support of the clinical department chairs, clinical faculty, faculty senate, and the administration of the school in implementing the credentials process. Evaluation of this process indicates that it has been useful in providing a mechanism to address a variety of patient care and clinical education issues such as faculty competency, compliance, and accommodations through a peer review process.

Accreditation↗

PubMed2004

Diversity, cultural sensitivity, unequal treatment, and sexual harassment in a school of dental hygiene.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the cultural environment in the School of Dental Hygiene at the University of Texas Dental Branch (UTDB) at Houston. METHODS: A 36-item questionnaire was developed and administered to first- (DH1; n=34) and second-year (DH2, n=33) dental hygiene students. Questions explored satisfaction with diversity and interactions with faculty, staff, patients, and other students relative to gender, ethnicity/race, age, and sexual orientation. Data were analyzed using 2x3 and 2x5 contingency tables to calculate the chi square test statistic. RESULTS: Ninety-one percent of the 67 DH students responded. While the majority of students reported satisfaction with the cultural diversity and their interactions at UTDB at Houston, 76% of the DH2 students and 62% of the DH1 students reported that the curriculum did not prepare them to work with patients whose primary language is not English. Eighty-two percent of DH1 students and 59% of DH2 students reported that the curriculum did not prepare them to work with patients with different sexual orientations and religious backgrounds. The DH2 students reported unequal treatment by faculty of another gender (24%) and ethnicity (21%), and sexual harassment by other students (6%). DH1 reported 6%, 12%, and 0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Data indicate that dental hygiene students in the UTDB at Houston dental hygiene program experienced unequal treatment and sexual harassment by either faculty, staff, patients, or other students. To create a more culturally sensitive environment, the students, faculty, and staff could benefit from training on diversity, cross-cultural competence and awareness, and sexual harassment prevention and management. The dental hygiene curriculum should be reviewed for the inclusion of topics related to diversity, cultural competence, and sexual harassment.

Cultural Diversity↗