Dental Surgery BChD - University of L

Tuition Fee

Start Date

Medium of studying

Duration

60 months

Program Facts

Program Details

Degree

Bachelors

Major

Dentistry | Oral Surgery

Area of study

Health

Timing

Full time

Course Language

English

About Program

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BChD) program at the University of Leeds is a 5-year full-time course that integrates clinical dentistry, science, and professional development. Graduates will be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to practice as a General Dental Council defined Safe Practitioner Dentist, focusing on clinical skills, dental and biomedical science, personal and professional development, and enquiry.

Program Outline

Dental Surgery BChD - University of Leeds

Degree Overview:

The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BChD) program at the University of Leeds is a 5-year full-time course that integrates clinical dentistry, science, and professional development. The program aims to graduate highly qualified, well-equipped, and insightful dental professionals who can think critically and work independently. Graduates will be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to practice as a General Dental Council defined Safe Practitioner Dentist.

Objectives:

Develop critical thinking and independent working skills.
Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for safe dental practice.
Integrate theoretical knowledge with clinical practice.
Enhance reasoning, communication, leadership, operative skills, and teamwork abilities.
Develop skills using the latest simulation technology and gain experience with real patients.
Integrate key cultural and societal themes like equality, diversity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability.
Understand the importance of social accountability and population needs, including inequalities in dental care provision.
Explore research and service development to advance dental science and improve patient care.
Become effective and ethical professionals, demonstrating resilience, adaptability, and ongoing development needs.
Maintain the highest standards of professional behavior throughout their career.

Outline:

The Dental Surgery course is structured in curriculum themes that build throughout the program and are delivered in sequential modules. The curriculum themes are:

Clinical Skills and Practice:

Focuses on developing clinical knowledge, skills, and behaviors.
Provides early exposure to the clinical environment.
Teaches application of evidence-based knowledge, operative skills, and professional behaviors to real patient care.
Culminates in providing comprehensive care for patients, demonstrating the skills of a Safe Practitioner.
Develops operative skills through sessions in clinical skills classrooms equipped with haptic simulator facilities.
Emphasizes patient education and preventive care.
Provides experience managing patients across various clinical areas (restorative dentistry, oral surgery, children's dentistry, oral radiography and radiology, and oral medicine) in diverse clinical settings, including outreach placements.
Integrates professional behaviors, including communication with patients and teamwork within the dental team.
Develops cultural competence through learning from a diverse patient population.
Considers the environmental sustainability impact of everyday dental practice.
Encourages reflective practice and self-assessment of capabilities and development needs.

Dental and Biomedical Science:

Focuses on developing understanding of the underlying science and health factors that inform clinical dental practice.
Taught by scientists specializing in oral biology, pathology, and dental materials, as well as specialist clinicians.
Covers oral and systemic health and disease, including the connection between oral and overall health.
Explores topics like cell biology, genetics, microbiology, infection and immunity, and the structure and development of tissues in the mouth and face.
Provides a deep understanding of head and neck pathology.
Exposes students to the latest scientific findings in areas like disease mechanisms, antimicrobial resistance, immunotherapy, and tissue engineering.

Personal and Professional Development:

Focuses on developing students as accountable professionals who understand the behaviors expected of a safe practitioner.
Prepares students as insightful and effective learners, both as students and throughout their careers.
Develops active learning approaches, encouraging reflection and ownership of ongoing development.
Enhances self-management skills, including time organization, resilience management through wellbeing techniques, and knowing when to seek support.
Develops understanding of professional standards and the underlying ethical principles.
Encourages critical thinking and discussion of scenarios with teacher clinicians and ethicists.
Integrates ethical principles with societal and cultural transformation issues like equality, diversity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability.
Prepares students for the next stage of professional development after graduation and for registration with the General Dental Council as a Safe Practitioner.
Enhances enquiry and research skills.
Develops understanding of the role and responsibilities of a dental professional in society.
Provides insight into population-scale dental health and inequalities locally, nationally, and internationally.
Explores psychology and sociology to understand patient behaviors and determinants of health for effective population health improvement strategies.
Enhances enquiry and research skills, including searching for high-quality evidence and producing evidence through a Capstone project.
Explores how research and service improvement advance dental science and improve patient care.

Course Structure:

The program is divided into five years, with compulsory modules in each year. The modules are designed to build upon each other and integrate learning across the curriculum themes.

Year 1:

Clinical Skills & Practice 1 (20 credits)
Dental & Biomedical Sciences 1 (60 credits)
Personal and Professional Development 1 (20 credits)
Enquire 1 (20 credits)

Year 2:

Clinical Skills & Practice 2 (40 credits)
Dental & Biomedical Sciences 2 (40 credits)
Personal and Professional Development 2 (20 credits)
Enquire 2 (20 credits)

Year 3:

Clinical Skills & Practice 3 BChD (60 credits)
Dental & Biomedical Sciences 3 (20 credits)
Personal and Professional Development 3 BChD (20 credits)
Enquire 3 BChD (40 credits)

Year 4:

Clinical Skills & Practice 4 (60 credits)
Dental & Biomedical Sciences 4 (20 credits)
Personal and Professional Development 4 (20 credits)
Enquire 4 (20 credits)

Year 5:

Clinical Skills & Practice 5 (100 credits)
Personal and Professional Development 5 (20 credits)

Assessment:

The program uses a variety of academic, clinical, and professional assessments to ensure students meet the General Dental Council learning outcomes and behaviors required for registration as a dentist. Assessments are relevant and authentic to the work of a practicing dentist.

Assessment Methods:

Selected response formats (multiple-choice questions)
Open response formats (short answer questions, assignments)
Group work (group presentations)
Practice or formative assessments
Clinical assessments (clinical scenarios, clinical skills gateway operative assessments, real patient case presentations, oral assessments)
Electronic Clinical Assessment and Feedback System (CAFS) for recording clinical experience, receiving feedback, and reflecting on progress.

Assessment Criteria:

Knowledge
Understanding
Application
Critical thinking
Clinical reasoning
Operative skills
Communication skills
Professional behaviors

Teaching:

The School of Dentistry uses a range of student-centered, active, engaging, and inclusive learning and teaching methods. The approach is hybrid, using face-to-face and online methods.

Teaching Methods:

Face-to-face large-group lectures (recorded)
Online live and pre-recorded lectures
Small group face-to-face seminars and tutorial discussions
Digital learning platform for accessing learning resources and guiding learning
Clinical skills classrooms with haptic simulation technology and traditional phantom head activities
Communication skills teaching with simulated patients
Clinical sessions supervised by highly qualified dental educators
Patient treatment in Leeds Dental Hospital and outreach centers

Faculty:

Expert academics (lecturers to professors)
Industry professionals with years of experience
Trained postgraduate researchers

Careers:

Employment prospects for dentists are good. After graduating and registering with the General Dental Council (GDC), most UK graduates take up a one- or two-year salaried Dental Foundation training post, which is mandatory for an NHS career. Dentists must undertake continuing professional education for annual GDC registration.

Career Opportunities:

Academia (teaching and research)
General dental practice
Hospital, community, and corporate settings
Armed forces
Clinical and non-clinical opportunities at non-governmental organizations worldwide and other international agencies

Careers Support:

Alignment of the course with nationally agreed capability statements for newly qualified dentists.
Leeds for Life process, including academic personal tutoring and personal development, to prepare for continued professional development throughout a career.
Support from the Careers Centre and faculty staff to plan careers and make informed decisions.

Other:

The School of Dentistry, in partnership with Leeds Dental Institute, is one of a few dental schools in the UK where the whole dental team (dentists, dental therapists, hygienists, technicians, and dental nurses) are educated together.
The first two years of the BChD Dental Surgery course are co-taught with the first two years of the BSc Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy course, encouraging a community of learning and preparing students to work as members of the dental team.
The School has a friendly and supportive atmosphere and active, effective student-staff partnership work.
Students are encouraged to give regular feedback on the course and contribute to its development.
Students have the opportunity to be members of the Leeds University Dental Student Society (DentSoc).
The School has dedicated DenStudy and Student Support Teams, providing study and academic skills advice and pastoral care to Dentistry students.
All students have an academic personal tutor to guide and support them through the course.
The School has a Code of Professional Conduct that all students are expected to sign up to each year.
The School has a dress policy to promote a clinical and professional appearance.
The University of Leeds Health Science library is in the same building as the School of Dentistry, providing easy access to learning resources and study spaces.
The course is accredited by the General Dental Council (GDC).
The School has processes to ensure all graduates meet the GDC Safe Practitioner learning outcomes and behaviors.
The School operates an equal opportunities policy and supports widening participation.
International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students.
The School uses Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) for the selection process.
The School operates a values-based recruitment process.
Candidates who apply to more than one vocational course in the School of Dentistry will only be considered for one course.
Candidates who apply for both Dental Surgery and Dental Hygiene & Dental Therapy programs within the School of Dentistry must choose one course only.
Candidates who demonstrate motivation and insight for another non-School of Dentistry vocational course (e.g., Medicine or Nursing) will be rejected without further consideration.
The School of Dentistry Admissions Policy 2024 is available online.