FOD maintains a reputation of being one of the premier teaching and research facilities in the Arab World, a reputation that reflects the caliber of it's faculty and it's educational program. Education in the Faculty of Dentistry is offered in collaboration with the other faculties of the Health Sciences Center. The dental training program at Kuwait University was a six and half year program at the end of which students were awarded the Bachelor of Dental Medicine (BDM) degree. The Faculty has adopted a new system based case-triggered curriculum from 2005 student intake onwards. The Curriculum is divided into three phases, i.e. Phase I, II and III.
The Phase I consists of the first two semesters of the Preprofessional program (Health Sciences Center common year). The Phase II consists of three years and covers a foundation block, nine organ system modules and an elective. Dental students follow the same Phase I & Phase II curriculum as the medical students in the Medical Faculty and will recieve the Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree (B.Med.Sc.) at the end of the Phase II program. From the 2010 student intake onwards, the new Phase III program consists of three full years, which are clinical years at the end of which students are awarded the degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD).
During the first year of their studies, students in all Faculties of the Health Sciences Center follow a common curriculum. Admission to the Phase II program is determined by the grades obtained in the prescribed courses of the preprofessional program.
The new Phase II Curriculum is based on a student centered principle, emphasizing the need for self learning and student motivation. Nine organ system modules are covered in Phase II, namely Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Endocrine, Musculoskeletal, Nervous System, Digestive, Renal, Blood, Infection and Immunology. In addition to the systems there will be a foundation course of four weeks at the beginning of Phase II to cover essential basic science topics, which may not be covered as part of the organ system courses. Provision is provided for the students to have electives, Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM), small group teaching, PBL sessions and early clinical exposure are salient features of the new curriculum. At the end of the successful completion of Phase II, students will proceed to the Phase III Clinical Program.
This program has both didactic and clinical components. The clinical simulation portion is designed to provide further knowledge of the handling characteristics of materials used in the clinic and to allow students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for patient care. Students perform a series of structured patient-care simulation exercises on a mannequin, and these clinical simulation sessions run parallel to actual clinical sessions. The clinical sessions are designed to familiarize the student with the oral environment through patient examinations and non-invasive treatment. During the first part of the clinical educational program emphasis is placed on oral diagnosis, and students become familiar with the computerized record-keeping system. During their clinical education the students are exposed to patients with various needs of increasing difficulty, and all clinical education occurs in a comprehensive dental care (CDC) clinic. Community rotations are an integral component of the clinical education and are designed to familiarize students with the prevailing oral health care system in Kuwait. An Elective Project Study is also scheduled from the second clinical year under the direction and supervision of a mentor from the Faculty of Dentistry or the dental community.
In the preprofessional, preclinical and clinical programs, teaching takes the form of lectures, tutorials, seminars, demonstrations, laboratory work, field studies and independent study. Some instruction will take the form of problem-based learning in which students search for information necessary to successful solutions. In the clinical program, students will first obtain proficiency in manual skills using virtual reality and mannequins. Subsequently, they will treat patients under the supervision of clinical instructors, taking more responsibility and becoming more independent as they gain clinical experience and maturity.