Competency-based education in a clinical course in conservative dentistry

The conceptual difference between a competency-based education and an educa tion based upon a conventional dental curriculum is, perhaps, the starting point for the development of new curricula. The two systems are not, in the mselves, exclusive. There is common ground to be found, and the concept of combining instruction with competency-based learning experiences is emergin g in recent publications. This paper describes a competency-based approach applied to a clinical course in conservative dentistry. The learning outcom es of the fourth-year dental students in the new course were assessed using methods that included continuous clinical assessments, student presentatio ns and peer-group reflective evaluations, patient management reviews, a cli nical progress examination, the range and amount of work completed, and a w ritten examination and viva voce. Different weightings were given to variou s elements of the assessment. A formal student assessment of the course rat ed it as being satisfactory.