1. Dental Education: Health Education Commission Recommendations for Use in Developing the Illinois Master Plan--Phase IV.
- Author
-
Illinois State Board of Higher Education, Springfield. and McGill, J. T.
- Abstract
While the dental education expansion in Illinois has been notable, some problems remain to be addressed in the last half decade of the 1970's. There is a geographic maldistribution of dentists, with more dentists per capita in the urban areas, particularly Chicago, than in the downstate rural areas. While some progress has been made, considerable growth of ethnic minority enrollments must occur before such students are proportionately represented in the state's dental schools. The expansion of dental education in Illinois undertaken in 1968 will result in substantially more dentists. The increase should maintain and will likely improve Illinois' position among the top 15 states in terms of dentists per capita. In recognition of the substantial increases made to date and some of the dental care problems in Illinois, the following recommendations build upon the progress made to date: The three Chicago-area dental schools should meet their current enrollment projections. The necessary state funds for completing the expansion of dental education in the public dental schools should be provided through the usual budget review and appropriation processes. The private dental schools should be awarded an annual operating grant of $3,000 per Illinois resident student. Affirmative action efforts in each dental school should be continued and expanded. Each school should attempt to enroll and retain a student mix that ethnically and geographically reflects the population base from which it draws its Illinois students. (Included are statistics on supply of dentists, enrollment, and graduates.) (JT)
- Published
- 1975