Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity. Decades ago, the world was introduced to it. It began in South Africa and slowly started its spread. Countries from all over the world had shown interest in it, and it was taken into account.
They established schools for teaching dentistry. However, each country had developed its own teaching methods. Some countries may have similar ways such as United States and Canada. Yet the quality of education outcomes vary, depending on the technology they chosen to use, the language they chosen to study and the different types of exams.
First of all, the United States does many effective things that provide students adequate experience in this field. For example, the U.S. has chosen a unique program to teach dentistry, which consists of four years of undergraduate bachelor degree which assist the students to have enough information about dentistry lectures in general. After that the students must achieve a GPA of at least 3.2 from 4, which qualifies them to take (DAT) which means dental admission test so they can join the other four years of the dentistry program as it is mentioned in the American dental education association (2014).
Meaning the dentistry in the U.S. is not guaranteed, but at the same time it motivates the students to work harder on their grades because if they achieved less than 3.2 they will not join dentistry and they will graduate university with a bachelor degree.
Not a DDS or DMD degree, the first one stands for doctor of dental surgery and the latter stands for doctor of dental medicine as it is explained in the Education portal (2003). That will make them seek to achieve their dream which is dentistry, due to that people may think that this dream is hard to achieve but the truth it is not. Because the bachelor’s curriculum not only depends on the exams grades, it also depends on other school activities such as reading a book and discussing it, volunteering for charity events which help them to gain more grades.
Also, dentistry programs in the United States follow unique methods of teaching dentistry. They depend on technology more often such as computers, virtual learning via the internet, online websites where they can share their assignments in it. It helps them to find out where to get the information from the internet and how to use it in their research and assignments.
According to Santos-Trigo, M. & Reyes-Martinez, I., (2014) the developments and availability of digital technologies have been obtaining information, develop, and comprehend knowledge. Moreover, they do a lot of lab exercises and they provide students with oral health tools so they can practice on it such as Metallic dentist tools and dental orthodontic teaching model. It helps improve student’s practical skills and understanding because they use both of their minds and bodies in learning. So that will let them be capable of doing science experiments. After that the students will be able to memorize and understand lectures rapidly.
Because they will be used to figure out information from the internet and use it in their experiences .So they depend on both theories and practical experience equally. Using technology in teaching not only helps to understand things it also helps to save time and effort. Schools which use technology accomplish more than schools who does not.
In addition, U.S. teachers are highly educated and use several methods to teach dentistry. They have something called after school hours, where the teachers dedicate their time to help the students individually. They tutor students and clarify lessons for them, they also help them to practice exercises and exams.
This provides students the ability to manage and deal with different types of assignments and exams. Schools based in the United States have different exams, such as open book, take home midterm and online exams. Which assist the students to gain more information and answer it using different ways and also it supports them to develop their ways of thinking.
Another great effective teaching method in the U.S. is that they study dentistry in their native language, which is English. That will help them to understand the lectures, questions and information easily. Because it is their own native language they will not face difficulties with it except for some medicines names and tools. Whereas Kuwait University teach dentistry in a second language, which is English, and it is the biggest barrier for Kuwaiti dentists.
Because they do not encourage students to improve their English. They rather teach them vocabulary classes instead of studying English in a proper way. Students may be confused about the lectures and do not understand it clearly because it is all in English. The dental tools and drugs may not be understood due to lack of understanding English language. Which makes it more difficult for the students and creates unnecessary obstacles. Where they can easily teach them dentistry in Arabic or if the ministry of education insists on teaching dentistry in English they could at least give them English courses, so they can be able to write, read and understand English properly.
I am not against the idea of teaching dentistry in English, I am against not preparing the students for it because it is required by the medical learners, since most of the medicines names and medical equipment’s are in English. Learning English properly will also help them in their academic research and job interviews because English is an international language as Meenu, P. & prabhat, P. (2014) stated that Enhanced communication skills in English can result to not only an improved social life, but also better job opportunities in the future. At the same time, if Kuwait University taught dentistry in Arabic it will lead to a better understanding among the students since it is their native language.
Moreover, students who attend Kuwait University tend to seek more help outside of campus, either from other students or tutors, due to the fact that their teachers and professors are not very informative and helpful. Unfortunately, Kuwait universities hire some foreign teachers. Which gives the students a hard time to understand the lectures.
The other great barrier Kuwaiti dentist’s face is that Kuwait does not use technology very often in its teaching. They depend on lecture based methods, rather than computers and virtual learning via the internet. Which makes it hard on the students to accomplish more in a short time.
Kuwait University should consider its ways of teaching dentistry. They should consider the students potentials and set aims that goes well with it. They can learn from some effective teaching methods the United States does and develop it in their own way. For example, they should use more technology in its teaching, teach dentistry in Arabic to avoid any misunderstanding and teachers should help students even outside campus and use different types of exams. Also depend on both theories and practical experiences equally.
In conclusion, Kuwait University can enhance its ways of teaching by learning some of the Techniques the United States does. It does not mean that Kuwait has chosen a bad way of teaching, but it means it is not as effective as the U.S. So, developing its ways will lead to a better understanding from the students and less obstacles.
References:
American dental education association. (2014). Take the DAT (Dental Admission Test).
Retrieved from:
Education portal. (2003). Dentist degree program information.
Retrieved from
|Meenu, P.& Prabhat, P. (2014). Better English for better employment opportunities. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Approach and Studies, 1(4),93-100. Retrieved from
Santos-Trigo, M. & Reyes-Martinez, I. (2014). The coordinated use of digital technologies in
learning environments. In Uden, L., Sinclair, J., Tao, Y., & Liberona, D. (Eds.)., Learning technology for education in cloud (61-71). New York: Springer.
