New Calibration Program for Clinical Dental Educators Launches from Penn Dental Medicine and AAL

ATLANTA, Oct. 31, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The University of Pennsylvania's School of Dental Medicine (Penn Dental Medicine) and the Academy for Advancing Leadership (AAL), an education and healthcare consulting firm, are now enrolling faculty and individuals into the Fundamentals of Clinical Education (FCE). The FCE is an online, asynchronous program for new, adjunct, and transitioning faculty members in dental and dental hygiene education. The program is available to both institutions and individuals.

This cobranded initiative is designed to calibrate and orient predoctoral, postgraduate, and dental hygiene clinical educators. The program is comprised of five modules covering crucial topics in clinical education, including: effective communication with patients and students, cultural competency and inclusion, student motivation, best practices for effective feedback, working with challenging students, and accreditation.

According to the American Dental Education Association, more than half of all dental school faculty in 2016-2017 were part-time, and 55 percent of new faculty came from private practice. Dr. Karl Haden, AAL President, describes the program as "a bridge between the private practice of dentistry and those who are moving into academic positions." He adds, "The FCE fills an unmet need to help those transitioning to, or interested in, academic careers understand the roles and responsibilities of the oral health educator." The program will equip clinical faculty members with the fundamental knowledge and skills they need to be effective clinical educators and valuable team members at their institutions. Offered through Penn Dental Medicine's online learning platform, the program provides participants the flexibility of an at-your-pace online learning experience taught by leading experts from Penn Dental Medicine and AAL.

Of the online program, Dr. Mark S. Wolff, Morton Amsterdam Dean of Penn Dental Medicine, says, "There are so many different aspects to building a strong clinical faculty, and we are pleased to help develop this as another resource in that process. While each dental school faculty is unique, there are universal qualities to effective teaching and interaction with students and those lessons can be an invaluable tool for those entering the field."

For enrollment information or for a demonstration, please visit AALgroup.org/FCE or contact AAL Vice President Dr. Tobias Rodriguez at trodriguez@aalgroup.org.

About the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine:
The mission of Penn Dental Medicine is to educate pre-doctoral and graduate dental students in the highest quality clinical and research environment. Established in 1878, Penn Dental Medicine is a private, Ivy League institution with a history deeply rooted in forging precedents in dental education, research, and patient care. Since its founding, dentistry has been taught in a scientific environment as a specialty of medicine and under the multidisciplinary umbrella of the University of Pennsylvania. Learn more at http://www.dental.upenn.edu/.

About AAL:
AAL is a management consulting firm headquartered in Atlanta. AAL works with organizational leaders to achieve their goals through strategy and professional development. The firm has helped over 150 esteemed institutions and 5,000+ leaders propel education and healthcare forward. Learn more at http://www.AALgroup.org.

SOURCE Academy for Advancing Leadership - AAL