Bachelor of Dental Surgery

Introduction

The Bachelor of Dental Surgery Degree shall take not less than 5 or more than 8 academic years unless the School Board recommends to Senate exemption or change. The degree program shall be by course work, clinical work, practical, seminars and tutorials.

All courses for the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (B.D.S) program are compulsory and prerequisite unless recommendations for exemption are made by the School Board and are subjected to Moi University Senate for approval.

In the Bachelor of Dental Surgery Degree program one (1) unit of study shall be equivalent to 16 hours of lectures or 32 hours of tutorials or 48 hours of practical/clinical exposure.

Program Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the program the graduates shall be able to achieve the following: -

• Exhibit good clinical judgment and reasoning
  
• Manage common and other oral health disorders nationally, within the region and internationally
  
• Carry out research activities and document their findings.
  
• Participate in the prevention of oral health problems.
  
• Participate in the planning and implementation of oral health care services in Kenya
  
• Apply principles of promotion of general health through enhancing oral health
  
• Interact with other professionals and engage in productive professional relations.
  
• Exhibit high ethical and professional standards and behavior.
  
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the medical-legal and ethical considerations affecting the roles of dental and related health care personnel and their responsibilities in respect to health and safety.

Roles and Functions of Program Graduates

• Management of oral health problems, promotion of oral health and prevention of oral diseases
  
• Participate in teaching and training of oral and health personnel and dental auxiliaries.
  
• Initiate and carry out research in priority and other oral health areas at all levels.
  
• Participate in formation of oral health care financing strategies.
  
• Management of health services.
  
• Participate in continuing professional development
  
• Contribute to the national oral health policy formulation

Curriculum

The School has adopted the SPCIES Model (Student centered, Problem based, Integrated Community based, Electives and Service provision) of teaching because this method has been found to be innovative and highly appropriate.

The curriculum will be based on; Basics of Medical Education, Basics of Biomedical Sciences and Pathology, Dental preclinical and clinical sciences, Ethics, Community Health and Research. Horizontal and vertical integration are maintained in all disciplines throughout the program.

The mode of curriculum delivery is through overview lectures, tutorials and practical/clinical sessions. Most of the courses are implemented as parallel, to enable the students to acquire accumulative competences.

The curriculum, once implemented, will be subjected to continuous internal and external evaluation and monitoring. Every five to eight years the curriculum will be reviewed. Continuous graduate evaluation and development will be undertaken.

Learning And Teaching Strategies

All courses are adequately described in the student tutorial workbooks and corresponding tutor’s guide booklet. Active learning methods are employed throughout the training period.

Problem Based Learning

The students work in small groups closely guided by a tutor. Appropriate problems are used for analysis from which the students derive the learning objectives. Self-directed learning during which the students are instructed to utilize all resources, materials, equipment and personnel available shall follow this. During the subsequent discussions the students with the guidance from their tutors discuss the objectives of the problems. The correctness and completeness of the learning process shall then be monitored, and evaluated.

Overview Lectures

Discipline experts, for the purpose of outlining the areas of coverage, give the lectures in which basic principles, concepts and guidelines shall be explained.

Group discussions/Seminars

These are done from time to time between students and different resource experts to cover difficult content areas.

Laboratory Practical/Clinical Demonstrations

These sessions relate to the ongoing problem based tutorials and are to be used to demonstrate practical and specific aspects of the current subjects the students are studying. These sessions also assist students to acquire specific skills.

Clinical Exposure

Clinical exposure starts in the 3rd year and increases in 4th and 5th year of the program. This involves acquiring skills in taking good medical and dental histories, performing oral examinations, carrying out appropriate investigations, good clinical judgment and making definitive diagnoses and management plans. The students are also expected during this time to participate in appropriate treatment and rehabilitation of patients. Preventive and health promoting strategies should be developed and used during this training period.

Field Attachment (Community Based Education and Services)

Part of the program entails essential exposure of the students to community health issues. This is in order to orientate and sensitize students towards general and oral health problems in the community and possible solutions to these problems.