Reflective learning in community-based dental education.

Learners gain additional value from community-based education when they are guided through a reflective process. The purpose of this article is to describe how structured reflection assignments and methods are incorporated in the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry's community-based DISC (Dentistry in Service to Communities) program. The following strategies are described as ways to enrich community-based learning experiences for dental students: photographic documentation; written narratives; critical incident reports; and mentored post-experiential small group discussions.