OTTO-VON–GUERICKE-UNIVERSITY MAGDEBURG
Institute for Educational Science
Prof. Dr. Michael Dick
Juniorprofessor for Adult Education and Organisational Development
Continuing Professional Development:
The postgraduate master course “Integrated Practice in Dentistry”
as a cooperative venture between educational and dental sciences
Dentists in their own practices are directed to constantly review and expand their
knowledge base, in order to be able to ensure optimum care for their patients. The
evidence based medicine (EBM) approach attempts to process current scientific findings
and to make them available for use in the workplace. For this purpose, an infrastructure
exists, in which scientific sources, guidelines and curricula can be searched for
electronically on the internet. However, only the explicit knowledge which meets scientific
standards of reliability, representativity and objectivity is covered.
But no clinical decisions can be derived from the findings of a scientific meta-analysis or
secondary study alone. In order to maintain professional standards of medical treatment,
the experience-based knowledge of the practitioner is equally important. The translation of
the diagnosis into a decision concerning therapy represents the crucial professional
achievement of the medical practitioner. Since this decision always has to be made
through consideration of all the peculiarities and circumstances of each individual case,
there can be no simple causal derivation. Decisions tend to be based much more on an
integrated, partly implicit assessment and weighing up. Experimental and ethnographic
studies show that the case knowledge of experienced doctors and nurses exhibits a
narrative structure. It represents models based on histories of illnesses not on a
systematic or curricular knowledge. The theory of professions also proves the immense
significance of personally acquired experience in the training of individual competence.
But how can this experience-based knowledge be reflected, developed, passed on – in
short be managed for medical practice and institutional innovations? This task is made all
the more difficult by the fact that such knowledge is linked to physical characteristics, often
not available in verbal form, and can only partly be described in explicit terms. It is
acquired in processes of socialisation, also described as situated learning or legitimated
participation. Systematic processes for training and the exchange of experiences include
for instance consultations between colleagues in various forms, supervision (Balint groups)
or doctors’ quality circles. Dentists’ quality circles are widespread in Germany. Further
training, including in-service training, also provides an important means for maintaining
and further developing professional competence.
As a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the Institute of Advanced Dental Studies in
Karlsruhe and the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg (Education department), an
in-service master’s programme has been offered since October 2004, which makes use of
both forms of knowledge development and attempts to reconcile them with each other.
The full title is: „Knowledge Development and Quality Improvement - Integrated Practice in
Dentistry“.
Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg; Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft; Zschokkestraße 32; 39104 Magdeburg
Tel.: +49 391 67-16111; Fax: +49 391 67-16581; E-Mail: michael.dick@gse-w.uni-magdeburg.de
http://www.uni-magdeburg.de/mpeb/dick
The programme has a modular structure and corresponds to the ECTS (7 modules, 75
CPs).Two modules serve to communicate details of current medical research in various
areas of specialisation (Parodontology, Endodontia, Implantology, Orthodontia). They
follow the approach of the general dentist in order to counter the widespread tendency
towards specialisation with an integrated competence model with a view to providing
overarching care. A transdisciplinary model is concerned with the processes and methods
of a dentist’s thinking, acting and decision-making; here, scholars in the fields of
humanities and medicine work together. One module, oriented towards the humanities and
social sciences, deals with the role of the profession in society, the organisation of the
practice and the profession, as well as questions of the economic viability of professional
dental work.
At the centre of the study programme there are two modules, in which practical projects
are carried out in order to further quality and cooperation between colleagues. Here,
theoretical questions, methodological rules and practical tasks are all directly linked with
each other. Thus, for example, quality circles are implemented and reflected upon in
methodological terms, quality indicators are worked out for the dentist’s own practice,
made operational, collected and compared, patient surveys and team discussions are
carried out and assessed. Here too, the task division between dental knowledge and
educational methodology proves to be an essential condition for success. In the module
“Practical Forum: Promotion of Quality in Dentistry”, experts and moderators work through
three sessions with three small groups of dentists. As a result of the latter’s mutual
exchange of ideas coupled with the support of the transfer of theoretical content into
practice through the application of the instruments worked on, there arises an increased
certainty in decision-making and the implementation of therapies: this is shown by the first
qualitative evaluation studies.
Finally, the study programme leads to a master’s thesis, in which the studying dentists
deal with clinical as well as cross-curricular questions with methods from educational and
social sciences. The subjects of graduates of the programme so far concern research into
care and quality insurance, the reconstruction and assessment of dental routines, clinical
studies, practice strategies, as well as the image of the dentist in culture and society.
So far, 31 dentists have graduated from the programme, at present 32 more are studying.
Matriculation takes place annually, the regular duration of study is four semesters.
Previous achievements from other training courses can be acknowledged. The study
programme is overseen by an international academic advisory board, graduates are at
present founding an association to promote the aims of the degree programme.
The University of Magdeburg pursues the strategy of not offering academic further
education along the lines of subject curricula but rather according to the concrete needs of
various professional target groups. Further study programmes include: Master of Business
Administration, Master in Adult Education, Certificate in Project Management, Certificate in
Knowledge Management, Certificate in European Studies.
Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg; Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft; Zschokkestraße 32; 39104 Magdeburg
Tel.: +49 391 67-16111; Fax: +49 391 67-16581; E-Mail: michael.dick@gse-w.uni-magdeburg.de
http://www.uni-magdeburg.de/mpeb/dick