Dental Foundation Programme
Dental Foundation Training
The concept of a two-year dental foundation programme builds on the UK Departments of Health white paper “Creating the Future: Modernising Careers for Salaried Dentists in Primary Care” that is broadly comparable to the structured two year General Professional Training (GPT) programme which has been available for a proportion of graduates in the UK.
The principal benefits of a dental foundation programme are:
- Improved care for patients with particular emphasis on safety and standards
- Improved training opportunities for the dental workforce in the UK
- Flexible training pathways tailored to meet the needs of the service ad personal development needs of dental graduates
- Streamlined training to enable a greater proportion of care to be delivered by trained staff
- Improved recruitment and retention of the dental workforce in the UK
Foundation Year 1 (DF1)
For the majority of foundation dentists this will equate to one year vocational training based in general dental practice. However, a minority of programmes may have a HDS/SDS post in DF1.
Foundation Year 2 (DF2)
For the majority of foundation dentists this will involve 6 or 12 month posts in HDS/SDS. Other models may include experience in primary care.
Curriculum development and implementation
In October 2005, the Department of Health asked the GPT Liaison Group UK to take forward the development of a curriculum for foundation programmes in dentistry in the UK. The curriculum was formally launched by the Chief Dental Officer (England) on 15 November 2006.
The curriculum is endorsed by:
- The Faculty of Dental Surgery, The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
- The Faculty of Dental Surgery, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
- The Faculty of Dental Surgery, The Royal College of Surgeons of England
- The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK)
A Curriculum for UK Dental Foundation Programme Training
It is anticipated that dental foundation programme structures will inevitably vary in the type and duration of training and experience offered and may also differ according to the location of individual posts. The document describes a generic curriculum relevant across all potential foundation programme structures, containing competencies that are relevant to, and achievable by, all foundation programme trainees regardless of the structure of programme they have completed. It is anticipated that in some training environments additional competencies may be required and any such specific requirements should be identified locally.
The competencies for dental foundation training are organised within four domains (Fig 1). Within each domain, individual competency statements are grouped within themes known as ‘major competencies’. Each of the major competencies contains several specific supporting statements that describe the skills and attributes expected on the foundation dentist.
| CLINICAL | COMMUNICATION |
| PROFESSIONALISM | LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT |
Fig 1
Length of dental foundation training
Dental foundation training should be undertaken for a minimum of 2 years full time and normally be completed within the first three years following graduation.
There must be a minimum of one year full time, or part-time equivalent, spent in primary care, providing NHS general dental services, to allow completion of statutory Vocational Training. This may take place over a 2 year period as part of an integrated dental foundation programme.
The remainder of the two year programme can be completed in a variety of settings and should complement (not duplicate) vocational training experience.
Relationship with dental specialty training
Completion of dental foundation training programme may not be the sole entry requirement to dental specialty training programmes, but is likely to be an essential element
Completion of foundation training
Postgraduate Dental Deans and Directors have responsibility for certifying completion of foundation training (and vocational training within the current regulatory frameworks)
Foundation Training Portfolio
The primary purpose of the learning portfolio is to provide foundation dentists with feedback on their performance and progress throughout training, and to triangulate this information with their own reflections on practice. Progress towards achieving the competencies for dental foundation training will be monitored to ensure the foundation dentist receives full and appropriate educational support at all times.
The learning portfolio has been mapped to the dental foundation training curriculum at the major competency level.
Foundation Training Portfolio
User Guide
Portfolio Cover Sheet
Trainer Resource Pack
Monitoring and assessment using the portfolio
Monitoring
Clinical experience log (PDF)/ Clinical experience log (Word)
This is a record of the range of procedures carried out both prior to and during dental foundation training
Assessment log (PDF)/ Assessment log (Word)
This is a record of the clinical focus of the different assessments carried out on the foundation dentist’s performance throughout training i.e. the clinical (major) competencies covered each time they are assessed.
CPD and education log (PDF)/ CPD and education log (Word)
This is a record of the verifiable and non-verifiable CPD, and other educational activities, undertaken during DFT. Educational activities may include study days, tutorials, seminars, conferences etc.
Personal Development Plan (PDF)/ Personal Development Plan (Word)
This form is used to monitor and record the foundation dentist’s learning needs as identified through assessments, reflections or other educational activities.
Reflection
The minimum requirements for the completion of reflection forms are:-
- one per week for the first 8 weeks
- one per month thereafter for the duration of foundation training
In addition to the reflections required for completion of the learning portfolio, foundation dentists may also wish to keep a personal reflective log which would be confidential to them.
Assessment
Early Stage Peer Review ESPR (PDF)/ ESPR (Word)
Informal assessment during the first month of DFT only
Dental Evaluation of Performance ADEPT (PDF)/ ADEPT (Word)
D-EPs involve direct observation of performance, followed by one-to-one feedback, and are carried out on a monthly basis throughout DFT.
Dental Case Based Discussion D-CbD (PDF)/ D-CbD (Word)
D-CbD involves the foundation dentist presenting a case to the evaluator, which is then judged across several broad criteria, prior to one-to-one feedback being given. D-CbDs are carried out on a monthly basis throughout DFT.
Patient Assessment Questionnaire PAQ (PDF)
Carried out once only during GDS posts. Foundation dentists distribute a minimum of 50 questionnaires to consecutive, adult patients whom they have cared for. Completed forms remain anonymous and a minimum of 20 are required for a reliable result.
Multi Source Feedback
This is carried out once during each HDS/SDS post. Either Team Assessment of Behaviour (TAB) or Mini Peer Assessment Tool (Mini PAT) can be used.
Linda Prescott Clements presentation from the COPDEUK event on 14 May 2009 can be downloaded here.
MFDS Exams
Latest advise on the MFDS examination at Edinburgh and Glasgow Royal Colleges click here
MJDF
The Diploma of Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties at The Royal College of Surgeons of England (MJDF RCS Eng) is a new assessment, developed jointly by the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) and the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. This new examination is intended to progressively replace the existing:
- Diploma of Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) (MFGDP[UK])
- Diploma of Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS RCS Eng).
For further information click here