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Objectives: To investigate dental students' perception as to whether PBL can facilitate the development of professional attributes., Design: A cross-sectional survey of second year dental undergraduates in a UK dental school., Method: At the end of a PBL module, all students were asked to complete a fully structured questionnaire. Data were collected on socio-demographics, aspects of the PBL experience and the extent to which students perceived that PBL had facilitated the development of professional attributes., Results: The response rate was 96%. The frequency distributions of the PBL experience and development of professional attributes were skewed to the positive. Non-white students, compared to white students, rated significantly more highly the extent to which they thought PBL had facilitated the development of professional attributes. Differences between male and female students, and mature and less mature students were not significant. Students who rated the PBL experience positively were significantly more likely to rate highly the extent to which they thought PBL had facilitated the development of professional attributes., Conclusions: The factors that affect the relationship between ethnicity and development of professional attributes need further research. To enhance the development of professional attributes, teachers of PBL need to ensure that students find the learning experience worthwhile and stimulating.

Objectives: To report the feedback from general dental practitioners (GDPs) and dental undergraduates who participated in a general dental practice placement scheme., Methods: Subjects All 61 students in a year made 2 to 3 full day visits, individually or in pairs, to 44 general dental practices allocated to them. Thirty four GDPs completed and returned the questionnaire, representing a response rate of 77%. Data collection Formal feedback from the students and GDPs were obtained through 6 structured seminar sessions and a postal questionnaire respectively. Analysis Sifting, indexing and charting the data according to key issues and themes., Results: All 61 students attended the feedback sessions, 34 GDPs (response rate 77%) returned the questionnaire. The two most common themes that students reported having gained insight into were personal/professional development and practice management. The common positive aspects reported by the GDPs included exposure to the General Dental Service (GDS), motivation for undergraduate training and benefits for GDPs. These benefits included encouragement for the GDPs to reflect critically on their clinical practice, focus on their practice facilities and management, and stay in touch with developments in dental education. Through their visits and assignments, students gained skills in observation, interviewing, communication, relation-building and report writing., Conclusions: Placements of dental undergraduates in general dental practices enable students to gain insight into the GDS, develop key transferable skills and undergo professional socialisation. They are also beneficial and enjoyable for the GDPs who participated.

Objectives: To evaluate dental students' perception of 2 problem-based learning (PBL) modules in Dental Public Health implemented within the context of a traditional formal curriculum., Methods: 2 dental community modules were implemented with an 8-month interval between them on the same group of dental undergraduates; the first in Term 2 and the second in Term 4 of a 5-year 15-term dental course. At the end of each module, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to evaluate the introductory lecture, the fieldwork activity and the organisation of the modules., Results: In both modules, students reported gaining insight into the subject matter, skills in teamwork, making presentations and collecting data. Some students in the 1st module needed more time to fulfil their learning objectives and had difficulty in collecting data. In the 2nd module, students reported that they lacked motivation because of the place of the module within their timetable. Opinions differed about groupwork. The content of and interest generated by fieldwork activity was rated more positively in the 2nd module than the 1st. Less positively rated in the 2nd module was the introductory lecture and module organisation., Conclusions: Implementing PBL within a traditional curriculum does not offer uniform outcomes for students. Optimum group size and adequate time are necessary if students are to benefit from PBL. A consistent and continuous PBL approach should be adopted rather than a sporadic one. Further research should establish the optimum balance between PBL and traditional approaches that would allow students to maximise the benefits of both and to identify those students best equipped to benefit from a 'mixed economy' of learning.