Considering theory-based reflection in the service-learning training of Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residents.

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, in partnership with the Harlem United Community AIDS Center, has developed a service-learning (SL) program for use in the training of Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residents. This article presents basic tenets of SL, their applicability for dentistry, and our experience implementing SL in care of people living with HIV/AIDS. It proposes that social-behavioral theory, when incorporated into the basic components of SL, can play a useful role in resolving a number of challenges inherent in competency-based training programs.