Exploring Challenges to the Students and Faculty in an Undergraduate Integrated Dental Curriculum; A Qualitative Study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES To explore challenges to the students and faculty in an Undergraduate Integrated Dental Curriculum. METHODOLOGY The qualitative phenomenological study was conducted in Peshawar Dental College, Peshawar from June to October 2023 (05 Months).Dentistry students and faculty who had experienced the integrated curriculum were recruited with consent, by purposive sampling. After the ethical approval, three focus group discussions were held where the interview guide was structured using Sanford’s theoretical framework featuring open-ended questions, validated by subject experts. The student’s focus group consisted of eight students of basic sciences, (first and second year), and clinical sciences, (third and final year) of Bachelor of Dental Surgery. Whereas the two faculty focus groups consisted of basic sciences and clinical sciences faculty. The focus group discussions were audio recorded and transcribed, using Otter AI and transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic content analysis, RESULTS Out of 20, eight students and twelve faculty members belonging to the same institute participated in the focus group discussions. The identified themes were, (a) Challenges of an Integrated System (b) Strategic Assessment Reformation & feedback, (c) Supportive Measures and benefits of an Integrated Curriculum. CONCLUSION Several challenges were identified in the integrated dental curriculum. The students’ challenges included a heavy workload, rapid pace, and limited revision time. The faculty faced challenges like resistance to change, inadequate infrastructure, and assessment validity concerns. They required comprehensive training in integrated teaching methodologies and effective assessment strategies.

Keywords

• Challenges
• Curriculum
• Dentistry
• Integration