ABSTRACT
A.T. Still University and HealthPoint, a federally qualified health center, worked together to develop novel interprofessional educational clinical experiences for dental and medical students. This short report is focused on evaluating outcomes related to student and patient experiences. Dental and medical faculty designed the program to be as hands on as possible while minimizing disruption to clinic flow. Second-year medical and fourth-year dental students worked together to assess the physical and oral health of the patients. One hundred forty-eight students participated. Of 429 total patients assessed, 83 were referred from the medical clinic to the dental clinic. Caries was present in 24.9% of patients. Overwhelmingly, the patients enjoyed having teams of students care for them. These types of clinical interprofessional experiences give students valuable opportunities to learn with, from, and about each other while providing hands-on care to patients.
Declaration of Interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.
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Notes on contributors
Scott E I Howell
Dr. Scott E I Howell: Director of Public Health Dentistry & Teledentistry, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, A.T. Still University, Mesa, AZ, USA.
Chandani Shukla
Dr. Chandani Shukla: Student at time of project, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, A.T. Still University, Mesa, AZ, USA.
Ruth Michaelis
Dr. Ruth Michaelis: Regional Director Medical Education Washington Campus, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, A.T. Still University, Renton, WA, USA.
Mindy Motahari
Dr. Mindy Motahari: Assistant Dean Comprehensive Care, Director of Interprofessional Education, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, A.T. Still University, Mesa, AZ, USA.