Publications by authors named "Matthew Mara"

Purpose/objective: The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standard 2-19 states that dental programs must assess graduates' ability to function successfully as leaders of the dental team. This study aimed to explore how predoctoral programs teach and assess leadership and compare findings to the only known national survey on predoctoral leadership training from 2012.

Methods: In August and September, 2022, a 22-item survey was emailed to academic deans at 75 CODA-accredited dental schools.

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Objectives: Pre-doctoral dental programs must provide opportunities for students to become proficient in self-assessment, communication skills, health literacy, and cultural competence, essential for independent unsupervised practice. This study aimed to assess how student learning through a classroom education service-learning program addresses the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standards 2-11 and 2-17; specifically through the examination of self-assessment, communication skills, health literacy, and cultural competence.

Methods: This 2022 retrospective mixed methods cohort study examined unstructured faculty comments on drafted lesson plans and structured evaluations of classroom education service-learning rehearsal sessions.

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Purpose/objective: Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accreditation standard 2-19 states predoctoral dental schools must assess students' ability to function successfully as the leader of the oral health care team. This study aimed to explore how dental schools incorporate leadership training into their curriculum to better understand the leadership skills students learn, the ways students engage in leadership training, and the opportunities students have to practice leadership skills with their peers.

Methods: The aim of this 2022 qualitative phenomenology study was to use semi-structured interviews with academic Deans at CODA-accredited dental schools and one subject matter expert to uncover types of cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors influencing leadership training through the lens of social cognitive theory.

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Geriatric patients are more likely to have multiple medical comorbidities, physical limitations, and mental impairments that warrant careful consideration while providing patient care. Dentistry, along with other health care professional programs, incorporate interprofessional education (IPE) experiences to provide students with skills they need to deliver collaborative care in their future practice. Health professional programs should consider geriatric training in simulated learning environments, adult day programs, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and home care experiences to provide students valuable IPE experiences.

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Geriatric patients are more likely to have multiple medical comorbidities, physical limitations, and mental impairments that warrant careful consideration while providing patient care. Dentistry, along with other health care professional programs, incorporate interprofessional education (IPE) experiences to provide students with skills they need to deliver collaborative care in their future practice. Health professional programs should consider geriatric training in simulated learning environments, adult day programs, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and home care experiences to provide students valuable IPE experiences.

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