Inservice training for part-time dental faculty

Part-time faculty outnumber full-time faculty in clinical dentistry departments. They spend many hours in contact with students and often serve as role models of dental practitioners. Yet, part-time faculty have had very little formal training in instructional techniques. This article describes an inservice training program for part-time faculty involving workshops, weekly meetings, and practice sessions. The program was developed to provide training in some basic teaching techniques. Part-time faculty were given an instructional manual and copies of student syllabi and the opportunity to participate in the development and use of the student criteria sheets. The results of the program indicate that the faculty felt the program was an effective use of their time and they will accept, and even look forward to, future inservice training opportunities.