| Unit name | Year 1 BDS |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ORDS10035 |
| Credit points | 0 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Dr. Becky Harrison |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Bristol Dental School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
Initially, Year 1 BDS will introduce you to life and study at University. There will be a strong focus on lifelong learning, wellbeing and study skills, with professionalism and accountability emphasised alongside opportunities for teamwork with peers and with hygiene and therapy students. Communication skills are developed and legal, ethical and evidence-based principles that underpin good clinical practice are introduced. The importance of social accountability is introduced alongside the need for reflective practice, insight and feedback.
A Foundations of Dentistry block will introduce biomedical sciences with relevance specifically to dentistry. Further teaching in Human Health and Disease, including principles of acute and chronic inflammation, form the underpinning knowledge required prior to its application to oral disease. In Whole Person Care, there is a specific focus on the needs and management of different patient groups including children, adults, older people, patients from differing cultural backgrounds and those with special care requirements.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Year 1 BDS provides early education and training within a curriculum based on the student dentist as a Person and Citizen, a Scientist and Scholar, a Practitioner, and a Professional and Agent of change. These major themes comprise ‘helical’ themes which will seamlessly extend throughout the five-year programme to allow progression towards achieving the “Safe Practitioner” learning outcomes necessary to become a registered dentist. The unit provides the foundations of clinical teaching that will be built upon in subsequent years, including tooth morphology and dental biomaterials.
An overview of content
Course content will include study skills; introductory biomedical sciences teaching; fundamentals of communication, ethics and teamworking; and an introduction to clinics. Term 1 “Foundations of Dentistry” teaching will conclude with a conference where you present a topic of particular interest. Following teaching will focus on the Student Dentist as a Practitioner with learning through structured clinical topics, each of these supported by appropriate biomedical and social sciences teaching, and with opportunities for interprofessional learning and teamwork with students training to be dental hygienists and therapists.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will have the skills, knowledge and behaviours to progress to Year 2. They will understand the significance of undertaking a professional clinical training programme leading to registration with the General Dental Council.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to:
The teaching and learning methods to be adopted in Year 1 reflect the aim of developing students as adult learners, whilst recognising that this takes time to develop. From day one, students should feel they are preparing to become a dentist. They should learn to study with support of their peers, mentors and lecturers. Practical procedures and learning with students from the full dental team are all highly valued.
The teaching methods used are:
Students will be pre-allocated to act as patients for a variety of their peers during the course of these sessions. This teaching approach enables students to develop the necessary skills, behaviours and attitudes required for treating the diverse range of patients that will be encountered during the programme and within the wider population. Using peers as patients effectively supports the development of practical and patient management skills required for the transition to first patient care, and is underpinned by a range of General Dental Council “Safe Practitioner” Learning Outcomes within the domains of clinical knowledge and skills, interpersonal skills, professionalism, and self-management. Procedures where students will be required to act as patients include: history taking, examination of the head and neck, examination of the oral cavity (including the charting of teeth and periodontium), recording plaque indices, oral health advice, removal of dental deposits (as appropriate), suction practice and impression taking. This teaching approach will be fully supported by a process of informed consent, and an appropriate level of supervision by clinical teaching staff.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Throughout the course, there are continuous opportunities for feedback from in-class testing and regular Blackboard quizzes. At the end of teaching block 1, you will have the opportunity to undertake Formative Assessments which are in the same format as the summative assessments you will take at the end of the academic year. These include a Multiple Short Answer paper, a Single Best Answer paper and an Objective Structured Practical (OSPE)/Spotter. At the end of teaching block 2, you will undertake an Unseen clinical case; a short case to test your interpretation of clinically relevant year 1 findings, preparing you for similar assessments in subsequent years.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
An integrated, programmatic assessment is delivered at the end of Year 1 as a first attempt in May and, if required, as a second attempt (resit) in June.
Exams comprise two parts:
Part 1) Knowledge examinations - 60% of the total unit mark.
This consists of two components whereby marks are combined to give an aggregate for the Part.
Part 2) Objective Structured Practical (OSPE)/Spotter 40% of the total unit mark.
Students must achieve a minimum standard set pass mark (scaled to 50%) for each Part in order to pass the Unit. There is no compensation permitted between the Parts.
Demonstrating satisfactory engagement
Students must demonstrate satisfactory engagement with the programme, as set out in the student progression requirements for Year 1 in the BDS Assessment Handbook.
Satisfactory engagement with the programme will be determined by the Progress Committee which meets termly. The committee will monitor engagement against the engagement and progression criteria, review performance in 'must pass' assessments and monitor levels of professionalism.
A student who has not demonstrated satisfactory and appropriate engagement with the programme, nor reached a satisfactory level of professionalism (as determined by level of engagement and any other evidence relating to professionalism presented to the Progress Committee) will not be permitted to progress to Year 2.
Progression to Year 2
In order to progress to Year 2 of the BDS programme students must pass the End of Year 1 summative assessments at first or second (resit) attempt as determined by the Board of Examiners and demonstrate Satisfactory Engagement with the programme as determined by the Progress Committee.
When assessment does not go to plan
In accordance with University regulations, students will be permitted two attempts at summative assessments in Year 1. Dependent on exceptional circumstances, a student may be permitted a second attempt at Year 1 or otherwise will be required to withdraw from the programme.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ORDS10035).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
