ADEA Statement on Professionalism in Dental Education

For students: Learning oral health care is a top priority. Develop the habits and practices of lifelong learning, including self-assessment skills. Accept and respond to fair negative feedback about your performance (recognize when you need to learn). Learn and practice effective communication skills. Know the limits of your knowledge and skills, and practice within them; learn when and how to refer.

For faculty: Engage in lifelong learning, and evaluate and enhance your abilities in this area; model continuous professional development in oral health care and pedagogy. Ensure curricular materials are current and relevant. Model effective interactions with patients, colleagues, and students; accept and respond to constructive criticism about your performance (recognize when you need to learn). Know the limits of your skills and practice within them; model how and when to refer; acknowledge and act on the need for collaboration.

For researchers: Generate new knowledge. Engage in lifelong learning and evaluate and enhance your abilities in this area; model continuous professional development. Model effective interactions with patients, colleagues, and students; accept and respond to fair negative feedback about your performance (recognize when you need to learn).

For administrators and institutions: Set high standards. Learn and practice effective self-assessment skills; accept and respond to fair negative feedback (recognize the need for institutional learning and address it); acknowledge and act on the need for collaboration. Support the learning needs of all members of the institution and encourage them to pursue lifelong learning.

For students: Follow institutional rules and regulations. Promote equal access to learning materials for all students and equal access to care for the public.

For faculty: Use appropriate assessment and evaluation methods for students; view situations from multiple perspectives, especially those that require evaluation; provide balanced feedback to students, colleagues, and the institution. Use evidence-based practices. Promote equal access to oral health care.

For researchers: Set high standards for the conduct of research, and use unbiased processes to assess research outcomes. Generate data to support evidence-based practice and education.

For administrators and institutions: Set high standards, and ensure fair, unbiased assessment and evaluation processes for all members of the institution, including applicants to educational programs. Ensure that institutional policies and procedures are unbiased and applied consistently; ensure transparency of process. Provide leadership in promoting equal access to care for the public.

For students: Meet commitments; complete assignments on time; make your learning a top priority. Acknowledge and correct errors; report misconduct and participate in peer review.

For faculty: Continuously improve as a teacher; stay current; set high standards. Respect time commitments to others; be available to students when assigned to teach; meet commitments. Acknowledge and correct errors; report and manage conflicts of interest or commitment. Ensure that all patient care provided is in the best interest of the patient; ensure that patient care provided is appropriate and complete; protect students, patients, and society from harm. Report misconduct and participate in peer review.

For researchers: Know and practice the rules and regulations for the responsible conduct of research; stay current. Meet commitments; report and manage conflicts of interest or commitment; report scientific misconduct and participate in peer review.

For administrators and institutions: Continuously improve as administrators. Use appropriate institutional outcomes assessments, and continuously improve institutional systems and processes; acknowledge and correct errors. Report misconduct and support institutional peer review systems.

For students: Contribute to and support the learning needs of peers and the dental profession. Recognize and act on the primacy of the well-being and the oral health needs of patients and society in all actions; provide compassionate care; support the values of the profession. Volunteer to work for the benefit of patients, society, colleagues, and the profession to improve the oral health of the public.

For faculty: Model a sincere concern for students, patients, peers, and humanity in your interactions with all; volunteer to work for the benefit of patients, society, colleagues, and the profession to improve the oral health of the public. Model recognition of the primacy of the needs of the patients and society in the oral health care setting and, at the same time, support the learning needs of students. Contribute to and support the knowledge base of the profession to improve the oral health of the public.

For researchers: Generate new knowledge to improve the oral health of the public; contribute to and support the learning needs of students, colleagues, and the dental profession. Model the values of and service to the dental profession and to relevant scientific and research associations; volunteer to serve the public and the profession; engage in peer review.

For administrators and institutions: Recognize and act on opportunities to provide oral health care for underserved populations. Encourage and support all members of the institution in their service activities; provide leadership in modeling service to the profession and the public.