Michael Reddy, DMD, DMScThe pandemic has afforded us the opportunity to function differently in life. For me, daily chores and tasks that I used to put off getting done – like cleaning my closets and cooking, I now find more enjoyable. Doing the dishes is my mindfulness time of the day.
For many of us, the last few years have allowed us time to adopt new behaviors and strategies at the right moment. The phrase “strike while the iron is hot” is used to indicate the right time to take advantage of a situation. Its original reference is to a blacksmith bending and twisting iron into art. To bend and twist iron, it needs to be heated 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit and then hit with great force to make it malleable enough to change the shape. The timing is critical and there are only about 60-90 seconds when the metal can be worked. If you move too slowly, or with not enough force, the opportunity is lost.
In many ways the pandemic was a perfect time to change the shape of things into something more purposeful. Of course, the COVID-19 virus continues to have a damaging effect on public health, society and the economy. Health professional faculty around the world have faced upheaval in the education of our emerging doctors.
But the crisis also created a sense of urgency that accelerated innovation across dental education – which is something we needed. The technology and the ability to collaborate virtually during the pandemic resulted in stronger and new professional connections across health disciplines. Even physical distancing led to new teaching and assessment methods in clinics, labs, seminars and classrooms.
The pandemic has been and continues to act as a catalyst for positive transformation in curricula while advancing and supporting professional connections. Perhaps it is the fact that we are all in it together, or the urgency and mentality that we need to act now, which has led to a profound sense of unity in thinking about how to do education better.
Transforming UCSF Dentistry
At UCSF Dentistry, the recent consensus of the faculty was to have a smaller class by design to build a more sophisticated and broader education program and not rely on student tuition as the primary funding model. This was a bold move, which may have only been possible to consider during a time ripe for innovation. This fall, our students will begin this reimaged program, which emphasizes the clinical experience and data-driven technologies.
The Group Practice Model of team-based education has been a great success since our school adopted it in July 2020. In the Group Practice Model, leaders are expert clinicians and educators working on expanding the clinical education experience for students.
We are innovating dentistry and moving the school toward data-driven dentistry. Technology is more important than ever for dental education and patient care as our world becomes more and more digital. We are forming a clinical partnership and having dentistry join UCSF Health to integrate oral health with overall health. We know that oral health is a major component of a person’s health and wellness. The timing is right for a historic shift in how the fields of dentistry and medicine coordinate to deliver the best care to patients.
We also are reimaging our curriculum with guiding principles to address racism, health equity, cultural sensitivity and sponsorship. This work developed through collaboration among learners, faculty and staff to confront racial and structural inequities and bias at our school and beyond. So far, we are making great progress, and yet we have so far to go.
A New American Dental School at UCSF
The timing is right for a New American Dental School at UCSF Dentistry.
Our new American Dental School needs to be built from basic science discovery. We need to proudly indicate that UCSF stands on the shoulders of our research and that makes us different. We also need more translational, clinical, implementation and public health science to grow in these areas. We must advocate for National Institutes of Health research and funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration, and we need to look for support for high-risk, high-reward research.
UCSF is known to be quietly awesome. We need to be just a little louder, and strike while the iron is hot. And that’s why next month we are gathering a team for a retreat to design the curriculum for the New American Dental School.
There is a lot of work ahead of us, but our school community is ready to take advantage of this moment. In the meantime, I am going to admire the iron work on our dining room table before my mindfulness meditation with the dishes.
Michael S. Reddy, DMD, DMSc
Dean, UCSF School of Dentistry
Associate Vice Chancellor, Oral Health Affairs
