Article
Foundation Dentists and the rise of CPD in the coronavirus pandemic
The recent coronavirus outbreak has forced the NHS to adapt faster than ever before. Healthcare professionals from all areas have been left with many questions surrounding the uncertainties that lie ahead, and within this group the Foundation Dentists (FDs) have been particularly affected. Redeployment is at the centre of holding our NHS together at this time, but not all FDs have experienced this and have been left wondering how to fill their time. The way in which this will shape the future of the profession is hard to predict. The FDs of today are facing challenges that neither undergraduate nor postgraduate training could have prepared them for.
The dental foundation training year, usually 12 months of clinical experience including study days and workplace based assessments, has been cut short for the 2019 FD intake, leaving many concerned by the possible consequences to their future careers.1 Studies on foundation training have shown that ‘assessment plays an integral role in helping clinicians identify and respond to their own learning needs'.2 So what has been recommended for FDs to help them keep their clinical knowledge up-to-date and continue to develop in the absence of direct clinical experience?
Social distancing now means all study days, usually attended on a weekly basis, are implemented through remote teaching, such as webinars. The impact of this remote learning will need to be scrutinized to assess its overall effectiveness. Drawing on evidence from countries that have had experiences in similar crises, medical schools in China during the SARS epidemic have shown online problem-based teaching to be popular.3 Whether we can expect that a similar success will be seen within dental education and amongst DFTs during the COVID-19 outbreak remains in question.
It is, of course, a good solution to the current situation, and the role of online CPD has also become greater than ever before. FDs have been provided with access to online resources, including Dentinal Tubules and DentalJuce, both of which provide remote verifiable CPD. FDs have also been encouraged to access resources provided by the BDA, DDU and other dental organizations to help develop their knowledge, and write up reflections in their online personal development portfolio to evidence how this could be incorporated into clinical practice.
The role of CPD is vital for all dental professionals, and the GDC not only states a minimum requirement of CPD hours to be undertaken, but acknowledges that keeping skills and knowledge up to date is ‘at the heart of what it means to be a dental professional’.4 FDs should ensure that, despite the lack of direct clinical exposure brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, they should not neglect this unique opportunity to increase CPD hours and focus time on developing knowledge in areas of particular interest to them. As an FD, I am using this time to expand my knowledge in oral surgery and restorative dentistry, two topics of particular interest to me. It had been surprising to discover the wealth of CPD available that has inspired me. I recommend that all FDs use this time similarly, as there may be a day when we look back upon this period as the time when we discovered the areas of dentistry that truly capture and inspire us.