Leeds Dental InstituteFaculty of Medicine & Health

Producing the Ethical Dentist of the Future: a Model for Interdisciplinary Ethics Teaching

Dentistry Ethics Teaching Theme Team

M.J. Wardman, R.G. Baker, C. Potter LDI

C. Megone, P Affleck Interdisciplinary Ethics Applied CETL

Aims of session

1. To introduce to a broader audience the teaching and learning methods used by the Dental Ethics Theme Team

2. To identify and explore issues common across academic disciplines

3. To reflect on the student’s perspective

 

Rationale

A knowledge of ethics has professional and personal relevance:

Professional life inevitably raises significant ethical issues on a daily basis. Many professional bodies increasingly recognise ethics in their training and continual development requirements (The General Dental Council)

A personal knowledge and understanding of ethics has started to be recognised as a core part of the university experience (Leeds for Life)

The Role of the Interdisciplinary Ethics Applied CETL

“Our aim is to help students, professionals and employees to identify, analyse and respond to the ethical issues they encounter in their disciplines and their working lives”.

Other key disciplines involved: Medicine, Engineering, Business School, Environment, Nanotechnology – are the methods appropriate for anyone?

Planning for Ethics in the BChD

The re-design of the Leeds integrated undergraduate dental programme (BChD) identified ethics and professionalism as key cross-curricular themes.

A dedicated ethics teaching ‘theme team’ was set-up in 2007 in collaboration with the Leeds University Interdisciplinary Ethics Applied CETL. The team included a number of individuals:

The Interdisciplinary Teaching Model

Ethics in the Undergraduate Dental Programme

Learning Ethics

Didactic methods alone are not appropriate.

Ethics is learnt through experience and practice.

We can approach ethical learning through discussion, debate and exploration of simulated real life scenarios.

Small group methods are essential.

BLENDED APPROACH

Teaching Methods

Student Voices

Some core topics

Professionalism

Consent

Confidentiality

Trust (worthiness)

Honesty

Teamworking and Responsibility

Fairness / Justice

Best interests

Research ethics

WORKSHOP TASKS

Today’s workshop tasks (1)

Small groups discuss Scenario A:

A (dental) student signs a lecture attendance register on behalf of an absent student colleague.

How do you think they would justify this action if challenged?

What ethical issue or issues does this raise?

Report back

Today’s workshop tasks (2)

Small groups discuss Scenarios B and C.

Half of groups take Scenario B, other half take Scenario C.

Report back.

Scenarios B and C (not to be shown to whole group until end of small group discussion)

B. A dental student forges a tutor signature on a clinical skills competency test

 

C. A dental student forges a tutor signature on a set of clinical patient notes.

Application

How might this apply to your area?

Discussion in groups

Example scenario for discussion

A student colleague tells you that they can get vodka for you, for

one tenth of what it would cost at a supermarket. He says that it

comes from Eastern Europe and is not available openly in the UK. If

you buy £50 worth now for cash he will put you on his list for

further shipments. He says it is important that you don’t tell

everyone because supplies are limited.

Leeds Dental InstituteFaculty of Medicine & Health

Producing the Ethical Dentist of the Future: a Model for Interdisciplinary Ethics Teaching

Scenario BA dental student forges a tutor signature on a clinical skills competency test

Leeds Dental InstituteFaculty of Medicine & Health

Producing the Ethical Dentist of the Future: a Model for Interdisciplinary Ethics Teaching

Scenario CA dental student forges a tutor signature on a set of clinical patient notes.