Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE: : There is a need to build the ranks of health care professionals engaged in substance abuse (SA)-focused clinical research. The authors simultaneously developed and evaluated SARET, the Substance Abuse Research Education and Training program. The fundamental goal of this interprofessional program is to stimulate medical, dental, and nursing student interest and experience in SA research. Evaluation aims to understand program feasibility and acceptability and to assess short-term impact. METHODS: : SARET comprises 2 main components: stipend-supported research mentorships and a Web-based module series, consisting of 6, interactive, multimedia modules addressing core SA research topics, delivered via course curricula and in the research mentorships. Authors assessed program feasibility and impact on student interest in conducting SA research by tracking participation and conducting participant focus groups and online surveys. RESULTS: : Thirty early health care professional students completed mentorships (25 summer, 5 yearlong) and 1324 completed at least 1 Web-module. SARET was considered attractive for the opportunity to conduct clinically oriented research and to work with health care professionals across disciplines. Mentorship students reported positive impact on their vision of SA-related clinical care, more positive attitudes about research, and, in some cases, change in career plans. Web-based modules were associated with enhanced interest in SA (35% increase, P = 0.005, in those somewhat/very interested for neurobiology module) and SA research (+38%, P < 0.001 for activation, +45%, P < 0.001 for personal impact, +7%, P = 0.089 for neurobiology). CONCLUSIONS: : The SARET program stimulates SA clinical and research interest among students of nursing, medicine, and dentistry and may lend itself to dissemination.

Catastrophic preparedness should be incorporated into the dental school curriculum. The experience at New York University College of Dentistry is that a combination of catastrophic preparedness elements integrated within existing courses with a short, meaningful capstone course dedicated to all hazards preparedness can be accomplished successfully and meet proposed competencies for training in the dental curriculum. The roles and responsibilities in catastrophic response preparedness and response of dentists are actively being discussed by the dental profession. An element of that discussion has to include the 'what' and 'how' of education and training for dentists at the predoctoral level and after dental school graduation. The concepts presented in this article should be debated at all levels of the profession

The purpose of this project was to define education and training requirements for hospital-based dentists to efficiently and meaningfully participate in a hospital disaster response. Eight dental faculty with hospital-based training and/or military command and CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive) expertise were recruited as an expert panel. A consensus set of recommended educational objectives for hospital-based dentists was established using the following process: 1) identify assumptions supported by all expert panelists, 2) determine current advanced dental educational training requirements, and 3) conduct additional training and literature review by various panelists and discussions with other content and systems experts. Using this three-step process, educational objectives that the development group believed necessary for hospital-based dentists to be effective in treatment or management roles in times of a catastrophic event were established. These educational objectives are categorized into five thematic areas: 1) disaster systems, 2) triage/medical assessment, 3) blast and burn injuries, 4) chemical agents, and 5) biological agents. Creation of training programs to help dentists acquire these educational objectives would benefit hospital-based dental training programs and strengthen hospital surge manpower needs. The proposed educational objectives are designed to stimulate discussion and debate among dental, medical, and public health professionals about the roles of dentists in meeting hospital surge manpower needs.

This article describes an integrated fourth-year course in catastrophe preparedness for students at the New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD). The curriculum is built around the competencies proposed in 'Predoctoral Dental School Curriculum for Catastrophe Preparedness,' published in the August 2004 Journal of Dental Education. We highlight our experience developing the program and offer suggestions to other dental schools considering adding bioterrorism studies to their curriculum

The American Dietetic Association and the American Dental Association share a common interest in improving the health and quality of life of the population. Dental visits present an opportunity to identify nutrition-related issues for both the pediatric and adult population. Traditionally, dental and nutrition students have had little opportunity to learn and work together since little time was spent on nutrition in the dental curriculum. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a new collaborative training experience for dietetic interns and pediatric dentistry residents. The oral health rotation for dietetic interns also has several objectives, including experience interacting with a culturally diverse population and participating in community nutrition education (Head Start). In its first 18 months, the collaborative program has been viewed as a success by the pediatric dentistry faculty and residents and the nutrition faculty and interns

Preparing for catastrophic events, both human-made and natural, is in the national interest and has become a priority since catastrophic events in Oklahoma City, Washington, DC, and New York City. Dentists are a large source of non-physician health manpower that could contribute to the public welfare during catastrophic events that require additional public health human resources. Dentists, by virtue of their education, understand biomedical concepts and have patient care skills that can be directly applied during a catastrophic event. Dentists also can provide training for other types of health care workers and can supervise these individuals. In this article, we propose that dentistry can make a significant contribution as part of a national response before, during, and after a catastrophic event or at the time of a public health emergency. We describe the potential collaboration among a dental school, city and state health departments, law enforcement, the military, and others to develop a curriculum in catastrophe preparedness. Then we describe one dental school's effort to build a catastrophe preparedness curriculum for our students. The competencies, goals and objectives, and sources of content for this catastrophe preparedness curriculum are described as well as suggestions for sequencing instruction

The purpose of this article is to explore issues that pertain to the needs of gay men, lesbians, and bisexual and transgender (GLBT) students as a subgroup in U.S. dental schools. The increasing visibility of GLBT persons in all aspects of life is one aspect of the changing face of the U.S. population. Increasingly, there is dialogue about issues related to GLBT persons, their nontraditional families, and their full engagement in society. Recent court decisions, changing policies in states and municipalities, and increasing acceptance in society promote inclusion. Likewise, this dialogue has extended into academic life. In medicine and nursing, GLBT issues include the needs of GLBT patients, the mentoring of faculty and administration, and acculturation of students in a dynamic college environment. Increasing the acceptance of GLBT persons and enhancing the value of diversity throughout the community and within the profession are challenges that must be met. In addition, fostering positive behaviors in a multicultural environment is a priority that is recognized in business and academe. In an effort to assess the present situation in U.S. dental schools, a survey was developed to gather data about support services provided for GLBT students. Based on the results of the survey, a series of recommendations are made to meet the needs of GLBT students, faculty, staff, and administrators in dental education institutions