Educational value of a university-sponsored community dental clinic: a three year student evaluation

The overall assessment of the clinic experience by the students was positive. Response to the open-ended questions showed that a number of students took pride in the Venice clinic and that they gained a great deal of personal and professional satisfaction from being able to provide service to people in a low-income and minority community. Almost 90% stated that their understanding of health problems of the poor was improved; 75% felt that their ability to relate to patients from different backgrounds was broadened; and 45% expressed more willingness to practice in a low-income area. This community setting also enlarged the scope of the students' clinical experience. Over 50% saw pathological conditions that they had not viewed previously. In addition, over 90% of the students did at least 50% more work, and over half of these performed twice as much treatment.