ADEA’s Communications and IT divisions are leading a cross-departmental effort to revamp the ADEA website, adea.org, complete with a new design and content system. Working with a vendor with a record of success in such projects, ADEA’s objectives are to improve the member experience on the website, better showcase the ADEA brand and resources, and introduce efficiencies in how content is updated and maintained. The vast and ambitious project, expected to take up to 18 months, will include the input of focus groups who represent ADEA’s many stakeholders.
Assist Member Institutions
Assist Member Institutions—Assist member institutions with successfully navigating the rapidly changing environment for dental and health professions education.
ADEA Commences Overhaul of ADEA Website
ADEA Releases the 2021-2022 ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools
In spring 2021, ADEA released the all-digital 2021-2022 ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools. The ADEA Official Guide consists of a one-year subscription to the online directory of dental schools (the ADEA Dental School Explorer) and PDF publication (ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools 2021-2022 for Students Entering in Fall 2021 or Fall 2022). The ADEA Dental School Explorer was updated in March with data from the 2020 dental school entering class.
ADEA Council of Deans Uses Virtual Opportunities to Increase Connections and Share Information
U.S. and Canadian deans shared strategies for the monumental educational, safety and health care delivery modifications required during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic across dental education through the ADEA Connect platform. ADEA Connect provided discussion boards for sharing of resources and strategies among the deans. Widely used, this resource continues as an active means for distribution of important and timely questions and discussion. The ADEA Council of Deans also initiated new monthly Zoom meetings to discuss emergent issues and provide ongoing connection during the initial and continuing challenges. The enduring result of the ongoing communication is an enhanced sense of collegiality and willingness to share strategies, helping all leaders navigate the ongoing challenges all programs are experiencing.
ADEA Connect Expands, Undergoes Enhancements
November 2021 marked the two-year anniversary of launching ADEA’s online community, ADEA Connect. The platform and its 111 active communities continue to be a valuable resource for member collaboration and support.
New features to the platform include:
- “Tip Tuesday,” a bi-weekly discussion post of short snippets on how to better use the platform’s various features;
- “From the desk of Karen P. West,” an archive of President and CEO Dr. West’s postings to ADEA’s members; and
- Journal of Dental Education contents page, a promotion for the Journal of Dental Education that contains the table of contents and Editors’ Picks for each month.
The new mobile app for ADEA Connect is also available for download.
Higher Logic is helping ADEA with strategies to improve member engagement on ADEA Connect. Plans are underway to expand the ADEA Connect ambassador program by including a toolkit for community ambassadors and having quarterly meetings to discuss ways to increase engagement in communities reviewing various reports available. Other plans include increasing the number of Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions and adding a video element to them.
ADEA Prepares for Comprehensive Membership Survey
In 2021, ADEA selected a vendor, Association Laboratory, and began laying the groundwork for a comprehensive survey of its members—the first in more than a decade. The survey, which will launch in the spring of 2022, will help to shed new light on the needs and preferences of ADEA members, so that ADEA can deliver the most value to those it serves.
ADEA to Conduct Assessment of Current Association Management System
ADEA is planning to review its Association Management System (AMS), which has been in use since 2005. The evaluation will focus on needs and outcomes that best support ADEA’s growth, as well as members’ expectations for a top-notch online experience when interacting with the AMS.
The assessment will evaluate the overall alignment among the various functions to improve data management, reporting and business intelligence. A cross-departmental team has been constituted to pick an experienced agency to help conduct the assessment. The selected agency will perform a detailed analysis of ADEA’s current AMS technology, its processes, and connected and unconnected point solutions, and provide recommendations for the best way forward to re-imagine and transform this key segment of the organization’s information services infrastructure.
ADEA’s Journal of Dental Education Offers Special Supplements
ADEA’s Journal of Dental Education (JDE) offered an online-only JDE supplement in June 2021 with a collection of the JDE’s new series of Advancing Through Innovation articles published between April – December 2020. The second such supplement, published at the end of December 2021, published articles from January – June 2021. The latest supplement contained 54 Advancing Through Innovation articles.
Planning is underway for a special JDE issue on diversity, equity and inclusion, which will publish in September 2022. The ADEA Access, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee provided suggested topics and the names of potential authors. As of early December 2021, 19 of 22 subject matter experts have agreed to write articles. Additionally, ADI staff will plan the October 2022 Diversity Workshop based on the contents of this special JDE edition, and potentially a plenary session for the 2023 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition.
ADEA Publishes Dentists of Tomorrow 2020
In March 2021, ADEA launched Dentists of Tomorrow 2020: An Analysis of the Results From the 2020 ADEA Survey of U.S. Dental School Seniors, the first report in the new ADEA Education Research Series. The research showed even during these uncertain times, U.S. dental schools continued their mission to train and graduate oral health professionals who are fully prepared to go into the profession. Resources related to that study include an article in the Journal of Dental Education titled “Dentists of tomorrow 2020: An analysis of the results of the 2020 ADEA Survey of U.S. Dental School Seniors 2020,” the Dentists of Tomorrow 2020 Summary report, an online storyboard of key findings from the survey and an interactive data visualization dashboard.
The Dentists of Tomorrow 2020 study examines the journey of U.S. dental schools’ predoctoral senior class of 2020, from influences on and their motivations to pursue careers in dentistry, aspects of their dental school experiences, to plans upon graduation and the investment in their careers. Whenever feasible, the answers of the 2020 survey respondents were compared with their 2015 counterparts. Further, this research attempts to provide more insight on the journey of the historically underrepresented and marginalized (HURM) predoctoral senior students, by comparing the responses of the overall response sample with the responses of the HURM students.
Educational Pathways Adds Programs to ADEA Centralized Application Services
The ADEA Office of Educational Pathways is the gateway to dental education, serving as an essential resource for students interested in the dental professions, students in dental education programs, counselors, health professions advisors, admissions officers and dental educators. ADEA’s Educational Pathways directs four Centralized Application Services (CASs): ADEA AADSAS® (ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service), ADEA CAAPID® (ADEA Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists), ADEA DHCAS® (ADEA Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service) and ADEA PASS® (ADEA Postdoctoral Application Support Service).
During the 2021-22 application cycle, several participating programs were added to CAS: University of Saskatchewan College of Dentistry (ADEA AADSAS), California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine (ADEA AADSAS), Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine (ADEA CAAPID) and Mt. Hood Community College (ADEA DHCAS). In addition, Kansas City University College of Dentistry will join the 2022-23 ADEA AADSAS application cycle and Lincoln Memorial School of Dentistry will participate In ADEA AADSAS for the 2024 application cycle.
Educational Pathways also removed the felony and misdemeanor questions from the 2022-23 application for all ADEA CASs as a result of “Ban the Box” legislation. Schools/programs will be prohibited from requesting this information in the Program Materials section in the application. However, schools/programs are encouraged to consult with their legal counsel on the best way to obtain this information during the application process.
Other updates were also made to ADEA CASs:
ADEA AADSAS
- ADEA AADSAS will continue to update the COVID-19 Application Updates on ADEA GoDental. This web page provides up-to-date dental school information, including deadline dates, dental school interview format, coursework exceptions, experience requirements and other information.
- An enhancement now allows applicants to select the category that most aligns with their experience: Dental Shadowing (In-Person) or Dental Shadowing (Virtual).
- The composite or committee Letter of Evaluation is now counted as one letter instead of three. Applicants can provide up to four Letters of Evaluation.
- The COVID-19 question will remain in the application for the ADEA AADSAS, ADEA CAAPID and ADEA DHCAS 2023 application cycle. It will be removed for ADEA PASS.
- Added a question that will provide the applicant’s colleges/universities attended accreditation status.
- Added Niece and Nephew as a selection to the drop-down list to relatives in dentistry.
- Question added in the Program Plans section to allow applicants to select the year they plan to apply to dental school.
ADEA PASS
- Removed the optional question regarding the impact of COVID-19 question from the Personal Information section.
- The Colleges Attended section has been re-named to Colleges & Dental Schools Attended to provide clarity that applicants must submit their official dental school transcript(s).
- The applicant will no longer see the name of the individual responsible for Institutional Evaluation Form. The screen will display “Dean’s Office Representative”.
- Evaluators will be required to type their name on each evaluation to serve as the signature.
Educational Pathways Holds Virtual ADEA AADSAS Town Hall Meetings
Dental school admissions representatives continue to meet on a quarterly basis to discuss issues or concerns about dentistry. Some of the topics discussed were:
- The ADEA AADSAS Guidelines for Dental Schools When Extending Offers of Admissions changes in the acceptance notification date and the applicant response period,
- The value of creating more structure around “Dental School Visit Days” to assist applicants in choosing a dental school as a result of limited visits and no in-person interviews over the past two application cycles and
- Creating and developing an ADEA Applicant Code of Conduct to address inappropriate behavior during the application process.
ADEA Office of Educational Pathways Adopts New CRM Tool
ADEA has adopted a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, the Enrollment Management from Liaison International, Inc. This will allow for more personalized outreach to prospective ADEA Centralized Application Services applicants. To date, outreach campaigns are being designed around targeting completed but not submitted applications, applications without Dental Admission Test scores and/or personal statements and nurturing applicants between the ADEA GoDental Recruitment Event and the opening of the 2023 ADEA AADSAS® (ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service) application cycle.
ADEA Conducts Survey of U.S. Dental School Seniors, 2021 Graduating Class
The ADEA Survey of U.S. Dental School Seniors, 2021 Graduating Class was conducted between March and June 2021. Each year, ADEA surveys U.S. senior dental students to gather information about their education and future plans. The information gathered is important, perhaps even more so in this unprecedented situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Student participation in the ADEA survey is important for dental schools to:
- Learn about graduating students’ dental school experiences.
- See how the 2021 class compares with previous graduating classes.
- Plan more effectively for and serve future students.
ADEA researchers are now working on the 2021 edition of the analysis of the ADEA Survey of U.S. Dental School Seniors. Whenever feasible, the answers of the 2021 survey respondents are compared with their 2016 counterparts. The results will be presented in an ADEA summary report, an online storyboard of key findings from the survey, and other tools, as part of the ADEA Education Research Series.
ADEA Publishes New Policy Research on Critical Issues
In February 2021, ADEA issued Dental Amalgam: Safety, Affordability and Utility Fact Sheet for Dental Education. Dental amalgam has been used in the last 150 years for dental restorations. The use of mercury in dental amalgam has raised concerns as a potential health and/or environmental hazard. However, studies have shown that dental amalgam is a safe, affordable and a widely used dental procedure for teeth restoration (International journal of environmental research and public health, 16[6], 1036.). Several European countries have banned amalgam.
Antibiotic Overprescription: Policy Considerations for Academic Dentistry published in April 2021. The need to curtail over and/or ineffective use of antibiotics is a global public health concern. Dental prescriptions have significantly contributed to this problem. The call for antimicrobial stewardship to reduce/eliminate inappropriate prescribing needs to be addressed. This policy brief provides background and guidelines on antibiotic stewardship in dental education.
ADEA Publishes Findings on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
The ADEA Office of Policy and Educational Research conducted a survey between November and December 2020 to collect data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. dental schools’ operations and finances. The analysis of the aggregate data collected through this survey will be used by the ADEA Office of Advocacy and Government Relations to promote public policy beneficial to dental education and practice in discussions around new COVID-19 legislation. The Resilient Dental Schools, Better Oral Health Care for the Underserved: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools is available on the ADEA Policy publications website.
ADEA Publishes New Research on Dental School Clinics in the Journal of Dental Education
In the article “Operational and Financial Impact of COVID-19 on U.S. Dental School Clinics”, ADEA assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. dental schools and their school-based clinic operations and finances during the first eight months (April – December 2020) of the outbreak. School-based clinics are critical to training and educating future dentists and delivering oral health care services to underserved communities.
ADEA conducted a structured survey with the 67 accredited U.S. dental schools between November 2020 and January 2021 to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their operations, especially on their school-based clinics. The response rate was 67%. The authors employed descriptive statistics and text analysis to examine the survey results.
ADEA Ramps up Allied Dental and Student Member Recruitment Efforts
As part of an inaugural allied recruitment effort to nonmember and individual member program directors, ADEA has enacted a comprehensive strategy to promote the benefits of ADEA Affiliate Membership. Our goals are to:
- Encourage prospects to join (or upgrade their membership level);
- Build awareness of exclusive, affiliate-only networking opportunities, resources and solutions; and
- Increase engagement and connectedness through previously untapped areas within this community.
In fall of 2020, the ADEA Membership team worked closely with Senior Director of Allied Dental Education and Faculty Development, Rebecca Stolberg, RDH, M.S., to contact more than 280 allied member leads. Messaging included highlighting a growing slate of affiliate-only offerings for allied dental educators (e.g., access to monthly town halls, a members-only ADEA Connect community, a new program director mentorship program, portfolio boosting award and appointment opportunities). Through tailored marketing outreach, use of member testimonials and the inclusion of direct outreach by phone, ADEA has added 10 new allied dental education members to date. Efforts were halted in mid-October so as not to fatigue individuals also receiving increased ADEA Climate Survey for Dental Schools promotional messaging. Campaigns are set to resume in early 2022.
The ADEA Student Recruitment Campaign at dental schools and among allied dental programs, now in its fifth year, was a resounding success in 2021. To bolster student engagement, the ADEA Membership team liaises directly with ADEA Institutional Members to either auto-enroll dental school students or provide them with an opt-in form of enrollment. In 2021, 55 institutions participated: 26 allied programs and 29 dental schools. The 2021 rates represent a new high for participation—exceeding 2017 rates by 22%, 2018 by 25%, 2019 by 44% and 2020 by 150%. Student recruitment efforts were halted in mid-October 2021 so as not to fatigue individuals also receiving increased ADEA Climate Survey promotional messaging. The campaign is set to resume in early 2022.
ADEA Releases New Report and Data on 2020 Allied Dental
As part of the ADEA Education Research Series, ADEA released in October 2021 an analysis of the 2020 ADEA Survey of Allied Dental Program Directors in the United States. This is the first time ADEA released a written analysis and an interactive, online storyboard for this project, besides the tables report.
This report summarizes the key findings of the analysis of the results of the 2020 ADEA Survey of Allied Dental Program Directors. It examines various aspects of the activity of accredited allied dental education programs during the 2019-2020 academic year, from the type and geographical distribution of accredited allied dental education programs around the country, to information about their program directors, students and faculty. The analysis reflects the characteristics of the 58% accredited allied dental education programs in the United States who responded to the 2020 ADEA Allied Survey.
ADEA Releases New Policy Research on Teledentistry and Dental Education
The COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders accelerated the rapid expansion of telehealth and its increased utilization. Teledentistry, a subcategory of telehealth, has become a commonly accepted form of oral health care delivery, including in specialty dentistry, and has played an important role in reducing health disparities and achieving equitable health. This report, Teledentistry: Innovation to Improving Access and Delivery to Oral Health Care Services in Dental Education, released in October 2021 outlines state regulations and reimbursement mechanisms for teledentistry, the role of teledentistry in minimizing oral health disparities through practice and dental education, and teledentistry’s compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) for the prevention and treatment of oral health diseases. This report provides educators with information about the benefits of including teledentistry in dental education and continuing to expand this important field.
This report is part of the ADEA Policy Research Series.