Programme structure

The programme commences with an initial module of four to six weeks based in the clinical skills laboratory to allow the postgraduate to become familiar with the rationale and clinical techniques used in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at the Edinburgh Dental Institute. During the initial months, there is an introduction to the dental literature and to research methodology. The remainder of the programme follows a consistent pattern where six sessions each week are spent in the clinical care of patients. The remaining four sessions each week are dedicated to the academic and research programmes as well as personal study.

Programme structure:

Year 1

• The Management of Anxious Children and Adolescents
• Clinical Patient Care 1
• Critical Appraisal of Scientific Literature

Year 2

• Clinical Patient Care 2
• Dissertation

As available in Years 1 or Year 2:

• Dental Caries and Periodontal Disease in the Child and Adolescent
• Examination, Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Oro-Dental Trauma
• Paediatric Oral Medicine, Oral Surgery and Oral Pathology
• Management of Dental Anomalies
• Management of Medically, Physically and Intellectually Compromised Patients

Year 3

• SLICC (Student-led Individually Created Course)
• Clinical Patient Care 3
• Clinical Governance
• Specialist-Level Clinical Case Reports

The clinical component is taught mainly on clinic where students undertake supervised management of patients. In the first two years, the academic content of the programme will be delivered in the form of lectures and seminars with critical appraisal and discussion of the relevant literature. In the final year, the taught component of the course will be restricted to minimal use of lecture/seminar-format for the  Clinical Governance project.

For Year 1 and Year 2 students, there will be a written assessment at the end of each semester.  In addition, Year 2 students will also be assessed on two unseen cases.   Year 2 students will also submit a dissertation which they will defend during a viva-voce examination.

Successful completion of the first two years of the programme will allow students to proceed to Year 3 of the programme. In Year 3, students will be assessed on a clinical governance project,  two fully documented patient case presentations and two unseen cases.