Journal article
Impact of dental school critical thinking demonstrations carryover to practice: Survey of 5-year graduates
Journal of dental education, Vol.89(1), pp.107-115
01/2025
DOI: 10.1002/jdd.13695
PMCID: PMC11783349
PMID: 39177158
Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access
Abstract
Little literature exists on graduates' application to practice for explicit critical thinking skills learned in dental school.INTRODUCTIONLittle literature exists on graduates' application to practice for explicit critical thinking skills learned in dental school.Discern the (1) degree to which graduates apply explicit critical thinking skillsets in practice; (2) degree of adaptation of critical thinking skillsets to practice; (3) frequency of use for critical thinking skillsets in practice; and (4) perceptions to improve critical thinking learning guidance in dental school.PURPOSESDiscern the (1) degree to which graduates apply explicit critical thinking skillsets in practice; (2) degree of adaptation of critical thinking skillsets to practice; (3) frequency of use for critical thinking skillsets in practice; and (4) perceptions to improve critical thinking learning guidance in dental school.Five critical thinking exercises/skillsets were selected that had been in place over 5 years with at least one paper: geriatrics, treatment planning, technology decision making, ethics, evidence-based dentistry; each followed concepts from an emulation model in critical thinking. Electronic survey administered in 2023/2024 to alumni graduated in the last 5 years.METHODSFive critical thinking exercises/skillsets were selected that had been in place over 5 years with at least one paper: geriatrics, treatment planning, technology decision making, ethics, evidence-based dentistry; each followed concepts from an emulation model in critical thinking. Electronic survey administered in 2023/2024 to alumni graduated in the last 5 years.Of 98 (from 320 distributed) returned, 56 completed the entire survey. Dental school experiences positively influenced use of critical thinking skills in practice. On a five-point scale, mostly 4s and 5s were reported for "…benefit your thinking." Fifty-three percent reported "using ideas from the exercise and developed my own thought processes," 35% reported "using the thought process largely as offered in the college" and 5% reported "do not use the exercise." Sixty percent reported using the skillsets hourly or daily. With minor variations all skillsets were reported positively for use in practice.RESULTSOf 98 (from 320 distributed) returned, 56 completed the entire survey. Dental school experiences positively influenced use of critical thinking skills in practice. On a five-point scale, mostly 4s and 5s were reported for "…benefit your thinking." Fifty-three percent reported "using ideas from the exercise and developed my own thought processes," 35% reported "using the thought process largely as offered in the college" and 5% reported "do not use the exercise." Sixty percent reported using the skillsets hourly or daily. With minor variations all skillsets were reported positively for use in practice.A positive influence of critical thinking skills was gained from the college experience with explicit positive impact for each of the five critical thinking experiences. The questions may be a model for future follow-up studies of explicit dental school critical thinking exercises.CONCLUSIONSA positive influence of critical thinking skills was gained from the college experience with explicit positive impact for each of the five critical thinking experiences. The questions may be a model for future follow-up studies of explicit dental school critical thinking exercises.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Impact of dental school critical thinking demonstrations carryover to practice: Survey of 5-year graduates
- Creators
- David C Johnsen - University of IowaLeonardo MarchiniJohn SyrbuBrian J Howe - University of IowaJennifer E Hartshorn - University of IowaJhanvi Desai - University of IowaAzeez Butali - University of Iowa, Dental ResearchWei Shi - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of dental education, Vol.89(1), pp.107-115
- DOI
- 10.1002/jdd.13695
- PMID
- 39177158
- PMCID
- PMC11783349
- NLM abbreviation
- J Dent Educ
- ISSN
- 1930-7837
- eISSN
- 1930-7837
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Grant note
Teresa Marshall and Julie Holloway for foundational work, Patricia Conrad for Graphics, Sara Miller, and Jack Rossi for logistical assistance.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 08/23/2024
- Date published
- 01/2025
- Academic Unit
- Preventive and Community Dentistry; Orthodontics; Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Pediatric Dentistry; Craniofacial Anomalies Research Center; Family Dentistry; Dental Research
- Record Identifier
- 9984699053002771
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