DDS Graduate Attributes
Through completing two degrees, the Melbourne experience provides the DDS graduates with a broad range of skills and maturity and prepares them as leaders within local and international oral health care settings.
The DDS:
- provides learning and teaching based on the best current evidence available by drawing upon clinical and academic expertise within the School, the wider University, our clinical affiliates and current research outcomes. Students will systematically develop clinical skills using an evidence-based approach to learning to ensure close links between theory and practice;
- Takes an evidence-based approach to teaching and learning ensuring close links between theory and practice and supporting life-long self-directed learning and promoting independent critical inquiry, analysis and reflection;
DDS graduates:
- Through clinical practice in urban (including public and private), rural and indigenous settings in Victoria, students work with diverse populations that will develop a strong sense of commitment to principles of ethical practice and to furthering equity and diversity within their profession.
- The program has a significant research component and through the focus on evidence-based practice will encourage commitment to ongoing development of graduates’ own professional knowledge and skills through continuing critical inquiry;
- Demonstrate leadership through their knowledge of clinical decision making, which is taught and developed throughout the program, including a capacity to plan and implement creative and productive change in their workplace and their profession.
DDS GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
Self
In building their relationship with self, DDS graduates will have developed:
- a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship
- learning in a range of ways, including information and communication technologies
- an understanding of the principles of empathy, compassion, honesty, integrity, altruism, resilience and lifelong curiosity, the ability to demonstrate them and a recognition of their importance in health care
- an understanding of the principles of reflective practice, the ability to apply them, and a recognition of their importance in health care
- an understanding of the principles of self-awareness, the ability to recognise when clinical problems exceed their knowledge and skill, and a willingness to seek help
- the ability to identify and address their own learning needs
- the ability to negotiate, give and receive constructively to criticism, appraisal, performance review or assessment
- the ability to manage uncertainty
- the ability to apply effective time management and organisational skills
- the ability to recognise and manage emotion in themselves and others
- the ability to maintain their own physical, emotional, social and spiritual health and a recognition of the importance of professional support in this process
- a recognition of their own personal, spiritual, cultural or religious beliefs and an awareness that these beliefs must not prevent the provision of adequate and appropriate care to the patient
- the ability to apply principles of stress management to oneself, to patients and to the dental team as appropriate
Knowledge
In building their relationship with knowledge, DDS graduates will have developed:
- expanded analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects
- the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems
- an understanding of the scientific method relevant to biological, behavioural and social science
- an understanding of research methods and their applications
- an understanding of normal structure, function and development of the human body, oral structures and mind at all stages of life
- an understanding of the factors that might disturb normal oral structure, function and development
- an understanding with oral health as it relates to pathology and symptoms and signs
- an understanding of the management and interaction (pharmacological, physical, nutritional, behavioural and psychological) of important oral and medically-related conditions
- the ability to access new knowledge from all sources, to analyse and interpret it in a critical manner, and to apply it appropriately to their provision of oral health care
- the ability to learn from patients, health professionals and the community in a broad range of settings
- an appreciation of the responsibility to contribute towards the generation of new knowledge
- ability to evaluate the validity of claims related to the risks-benefits ratio of products and techniques
- an understanding of the moral and ethical responsibilities involved in the provision of care to individual patients, to populations and communities
Patients
In building their relationship with patients, DDS graduates will have developed:
- the ability to identify patient expectations, desires and attitudes (needs and demands) when considering treatment planning and during treatment
- an understanding of and respect for the rights of patients including patient choice, dignity and privacy
- the ability to communicate with patients from diverse backgrounds including the ability to listen to, respond to, inform and understand the patient’s perspective
- the ability to advocate appropriately on behalf of the patient
- understanding of the principles of patient care to ease pain, suffering and provide appropriate treatment outcomes
- an understanding of chronic illness and disability and the potential impact on the patient’s oral health
- construct with the patient an accurate, thorough, organised, medical history and to perform an accurate oral examination
- the ability to integrate and interpret clinical findings and apply rigorous reasoning to arrive at an appropriate diagnosis or differential diagnosis
- the ability to formulate an evidence-based and cost effective treatment plan in collaboration with the patient
- the ability to recognise serious illness
- the ability to perform appropriate dental procedures effectively and safely, with due regard for the patient’s comfort including important emergency procedures
Dental profession
In building their relationship with the dental profession, DDS graduates will have developed:
- an understanding of the continuum of dental training and the various roles and expertise of dental and oral health practitioners and their interaction
- an understanding of the potential conflicts of interest that may confront dentists
- an understanding of and ability to apply the principles of ethics in the provision of health care and research
- an understanding of organisational governance, the ability to be an active participant in professional organisations, and an appreciation of the benefits of this participation
- an understanding of the principles of mentorship and the ability to apply them with colleagues
- the ability to provide effective peer review in order to assist colleagues to improve their performance
- an understanding of educational theory and practice and the ability to impart information
- an appreciation of the responsibility to maintain standards of dental practice at the highest level throughout a professional career
Systems of health care
In building their relationship with systems of health care, DDS graduates will have developed:
- an understanding of the roles, responsibilities and expertise of all health professionals, and how they work in teams to deliver health care
- a respect for the roles and expertise of other health care professionals and the ability to communicate effectively with them
- an understanding of the principles of team work and the ability to work effectively in a team, including as a leader
- an appreciation of the responsibility to contribute to the education of all health professionals
- an understanding of the principles of efficient and equitable allocation and use of finite resources in oral health care systems, locally and globally
- an understanding of the principles of quality and safety in oral health systems
- the ability to work effectively as a dentist within a quality and safety framework including the ability to recognise, respond to and learn from adverse events and dental and medical errors
- an understanding of the principles of effective record keeping and the ability to maintain high quality records
- an understanding of the structure of the Australian oral health care system
- an understanding of the role of political systems in shaping health and oral health care systems locally, nationally and internationally
- an understanding of the principles of continuity and coordination of oral health care
Society
In building their relationship with society, DDS graduates will have developed:
- the ability to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
- the ability to engage in meaningful public discourse, with a profound awareness of community needs
- an understanding of the interactions between humans and their social and physical environment
- an understanding of the determinants of a well society and the economic, political, psychological, social and cultural factors that contribute to the development and persistence of oral health and illness
- an understanding of the principles of oral health and health promotion including primary and secondary prevention
- an understanding of the health of indigenous Australians including their history and cultural development and the ongoing oral health disparities of indigenous people
- an understanding of the burden of oral disease in differing populations and geographic locations
- an understanding of the differing requirements of health care systems in a culturally diverse society
- the ability to consider local, regional, national and global ramifications of health care issues
- the ability to respect community values, including an appreciation of a diversity of backgrounds and cultural values
- an understanding of the principles of oral health literacy and a willingness and ability to contribute to the oral health education of the community
- the ability and a willingness to contribute to the community
- a commitment to contribute to the resolution of oral health inequities locally and globally
- an understanding of the relationship between environmental issues and the oral health and health of local communities and society
- a commitment to practise dentistry in an environmentally responsible way.