Faculty Practice Research Articles

Fostering Nursing Faculty Practices Within a University-Based Student Health Care Center

Graduate-level clinical nursing faculty who maintain clinical practice can ensure clinical relevancy in the classroom and serve as clinical preceptors for doctor of nursing practice students. Finding flexible and supportive clinical practice sites can be challenging for nursing faculty. Using a continuous quality improvement approach, an academic-practice partnership was formed between a college of nursing and a university-based student health care center to serve both organizations. Integrating 1 clinical faculty member increased patient visits and provider availability during semesters with high patient demand while offering a flexible clinical environment, increasing preceptor availability, and fostering faculty practices across the college.

Mindfulness practices among the medical faculty of a private medical college.

Objective: To explore mindfulness practice in clinical and basic science faculty in a private medical college. Study Design: Comparative Cross-sectional study. Setting: Abwa Medical College Faisalabad. Period: 15th December 2022 to 15th January 2023. Material & Methods: Faculty members of MBBS from basic medical sciences and clinical sciences of Abwa Medical College Faisalabad were enrolled in the study after taking informed consent. A total of 37 participants were enrolled in the study using a purposive sampling technique. Sixteen participants belonged to the basic medical science faculty, and 21 from the clinical science faculty. A pilot study was conducted to validate the questionnaire, and after validation, data was collected and analyzed in SPSS version 21. Categorical data were represented in frequency and percentage, and P-value was calculated by comparing the responses of both groups using an independent t-test. Results: A total of 37 participants were enrolled in the study. The mean age calculated was 39 years. Out of 16 participants in basic medical sciences, 44% were male, and 56 were female. However, of the clinical science faculty, 71% were male, and 29% were female. Participants taking breakfast in the early morning had a statistically significant p-value of 0.036 (Basic sciences faculty Mean S.D = 3.13 1.15, Clinical Science Faculty Mean S.D = 3.95 1.07). Participants having a sense of community also recorded a P value of 0.0005. on the other hand, people driving to home were more prone to anxiety and stress with a P-value = 0.044. Conclusion: There have been varied practices of mindfulness among medical faculty of basic & clinical sciences to cope stress. More studies are warranted to assess the frequency &practices of mindfulness among basic & clinical faculty, so as to have positive impact on personal, institutional & professionalbenefits.

FGF2, LIF, and IGF1 (FLI) supplementation during human in vitro maturation enhances markers of gamete competence.

Does a chemically defined maturation medium supplemented with FGF2, LIF, and IGF1 (FLI) improve in vitro maturation (IVM) of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) obtained from children, adolescents, and young adults undergoing ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC)? Although FLI supplementation did not increase the incidence of oocyte meiotic maturation during human IVM, it significantly improved quality outcomes, including increased cumulus cell expansion and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) expression as well as enhanced transzonal projection retraction. During OTC, COCs, and denuded oocytes from small antral follicles are released into the processing media. Recovery and IVM of these COCs is emerging as a complementary technique to maximize the fertility preservation potential of the tissue. However, the success of IVM is low, especially in the pediatric population. Supplementation of IVM medium with FLI quadruples the efficiency of pig production through improved oocyte maturation, but whether a similar benefit occurs in humans has not been investigated. This study enrolled 75 participants between January 2018 and December 2021 undergoing clinical fertility preservation through the Fertility & Hormone Preservation & Restoration Program at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Participants donated OTC media, accumulated during tissue processing, for research. Participants who underwent OTC and include a pediatric population that encompassed children, adolescents, and young adults ≤22 years old. All participant COCs and denuded oocytes were recovered from media following ovarian tissue processing. IVM was then performed in either a standard medium (oocyte maturation medium) or one supplemented with FLI (FGF2; 40 ng/ml, LIF; 20 ng/ml, and IGF1; 20 ng/ml). IVM outcomes included meiotic progression, cumulus cell expansion, transzonal projection retraction, and detection of MAPK protein expression. The median age of participants was 6.3 years, with 65% of them classified as prepubertal by Tanner staging. Approximately 60% of participants had been exposed to chemotherapy and/or radiation prior to OTC. On average 4.7 ± 1 COCs and/or denuded oocytes per participant were recovered from the OTC media. COCs (N = 41) and denuded oocytes (N = 29) were used for IVM (42 h) in a standard or FLI-supplemented maturation medium. The incidence of meiotic maturation was similar between cohorts (COCs: 25.0% vs 28.6% metaphase II arrested eggs in Control vs FLI; denuded oocytes: 0% vs 5.3% in Control vs FLI). However, cumulus cell expansion was 1.9-fold greater in COCs matured in FLI-containing medium relative to Controls and transzonal projection retraction was more pronounced (2.45 ± 0.50 vs 1.16 ± 0.78 projections in Control vs FLIat 16 h). Additionally, MAPK expression was significantly higher in cumulus cells obtained from COCs matured in FLI medium for 16-18 h (chemiluminescence corrected area 621,678 vs 2,019,575 a.u., P = 0.03). Our samples are from human participants who exhibited heterogeneity with respect to age, diagnosis, and previous treatment history. Future studies with larger sample sizes, including adult participants, are warranted to determine the mechanism by which FLI induces MAPK expression and activation. Moreover, studies that evaluate the developmental competence of eggs derived from FLI treatment, including assessment of embryos as outcome measures, will be required prior to clinical translation. FLI supplementation may have a conserved beneficial effect on IVM for children, adolescents, and young adults spanning the agricultural setting to clinical fertility preservation. This work was supported by Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology startup funds (F.E.D.), Department of Surgery Faculty Practice Plan Grant and the Fertility & Hormone Preservation & Restoration Program at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (M.M.L. and E.E.R.). M.M.L. is a Gesualdo Foundation Research Scholar. Y.Y.'s research is supported by the internal research funds provided by Colorado Center of Reproductive Medicine. Y.Y., L.D.S., R.M.R., and R.S.P. have a patent pending for FLI. The remaining authors have no conflict of interest. N/A.

The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on school‐level scholarly outcomes and research focus of pharmacy practice faculty

AbstractIntroductionThe effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic on scholarly outcomes and research focus of schools of pharmacy (SOPs) have not been studied.ObjectivesTo determine how objective measures of scholarly outcomes and research focus changed in pharmacy practice among SOPs, within geographic regions, during the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsSOPs were included if they appeared on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding list in all four index years (2018–2019: pre‐pandemic and 2020–2021: pandemic) and ranked among the top 50 at least once between 2018 and 2021. Names of pharmacy practice faculty were obtained from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) directory. The publication records of each SOP were obtained from Scopus. Scholarly outcome measures were scholarly activity ratio (SAR; proportion of faculty members who published) and scholarly output (SO; number of documents published). Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer®, and Python. Statistical analysis was done in R using a mixed effects model, with the pandemic and geographic regions as fixed effects, and SOPs as the random effect.ResultsFifty‐five SOPs and 1343 faculty members were included. Neither the pandemic nor geographic region had significant effects on SAR. However, both variables had significant effects on SO, as demonstrated by an increase in the Midwest during the pandemic (p < 0.05). Documents published increased from 2755 to 3001 during the pandemic. This 8.9% increase was lower than a historical average biennial increase of 24.9%. COVID‐19 was the top new research topic, constituting 56.5% of the increase over the pre‐pandemic period. Of these COVID‐19 publications, 20.9% were education‐related.ConclusionPharmacy practice faculty engaged in COVID‐19 research that focused predominantly on education. Scholarly‐active faculty were resilient, but their output was lower than expected based on historical trends. These results support the need to adjust tenure and promotion benchmarks and/or timelines related to scholarly output, especially for tenure‐track faculty with probationary periods spanning these pandemic years.

US Departments of Pharmacy practice single terminal‐degree tenure‐track scholarly activity

AbstractIntroductionBibliometric analysis of publications is a valuable tool for quantification of academic productivity and impact. United States (US) Departments of pharmacy practice scholarship by tenure‐track (DPP‐TT) faculty is vital for future evolution of the field.ObjectivesTo quantify journal and faculty metrics based on scholarly activity among US DPP‐TT faculty over a 10‐year period.MethodsA search of PubMed was performed of single terminal‐degree DPP‐TT faculty from January 01, 2010 to 31 December, 2019. DPP‐TT faculty housed in DPP were determined through online published faculty rosters in American Association Colleges of Pharmacy rosters or college/school internet sites. For each DPP‐TT faculty publication, the journal name, journal impact factor (JIF), and number of citations were collected. DPP‐TT faculty members' Hirsch index (h‐index) and National Institutes of Health iCite weighted relative citation ratio (RCR) value were determined. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were used to compare data across demographic strata.ResultsOne hundred and thirty‐seven institutions employed 1805 single terminal‐degree pharmacy practice faculty that produced 12 670 (7.0 ± 16.3/10 years/faculty member) publications. The number of citations/publications was (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) 24.7 ± 80.8 cited most frequently in medicine, pharmacy education, and drug therapy journals with a JIF of 4.7 ± 11.5. Individual faculty members' h‐index was 6.5 ± 8.9 with a mean iCite weighted RCR of 22.1 ± 65.3. Individual metrics increased with academic rank progression (p < 0.0001).ConclusionThese national single terminal‐degree DPP‐TT faculty metrics are similar to other healthcare professions, including publishing in high‐quality medicine, pharmacy education, and drug therapy journals.

When Your Job Is to Read After Work

ABSTRACT This article reports on a pilot study into the reading practices of students and faculty in history, philosophy, and literature in Denmark and the UK. The qualitative interviews with thirty people, each of whom kept a log of their reading activity over one term-time week in Fall 2022, suggests that most people in the study see themselves not having time to read as closely, deeply, or widely as their work ideally demands—even though on other counts they are reading all the time. This phenomenon may have less to do with changing patterns of ‘work’ than with the slimmer margins of time given to summers, sabbaticals, and times of rest. Ironically, the real crisis of these professions may have more to do with the extension of textual engagement into all times of life than with any measurable decline in reading practices.

Scottish Fold ırkı bir kedide, pectus excavatumun u şekilli eksternal bir splint ile açık operatif sağaltımı

A 4 month-old, 1.9 kg, female, Scottish fold cat was brought to Kırıkkale University Veterinary Faculty Research and Practice Hospital with complaints of progressive dyspnea and exercise intolerance. Dorsal deformation in the caudal part of the sternum and displacement of the heart into the left hemithorax were determined in the clinical and radiographic examinations. In the measurements made on the radiographic images taken before the operation, the frontosagittal index (FSI) and vertebral index (VI) values were measured as 3.5 and 5.1, respectively. An external splint made of PVC material is fixed to the thorax with suture material passed around the sternebrae, in order to correct the sternal malposition in intraoperative treatment. The patient was followed for 8 weeks after the operation. The external splint was removed five weeks after the operation, and the FSI and VI values were measured as 1.4 and 11.3 on the radiographs, respectively. In the postoperative period, it was observed that the patient’s problems such as dyspnea and exercise intolerance disappeared. In animals with bone development yet to be completed, it has been determined that external splint application gives successful results.

Social and educational evaluation of University Distance Education" (A Comparative Study of the Theoretical and Practical Faculties At Ain Shams University)

Social and educational evaluation of University Distance Education" (A Comparative Study of the Theoretical and Practical Faculties At Ain Shams University)

Approaches to Address New ABET Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Criteria in Biomedical Engineering Curricula

The lack of diversity in engineering is a persistent problem with few signs of pending improvement. Efforts to promote diversity in engineering schools have produced modest gains. Based on a commitment to be a change leader and fueled by recent updates in ABET criteria to include diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEI-J) as tenets of engineering education, the biomedical engineering (BME) community needs to find new ways to address the issues of DEI for all groups in our curricula. In an attempt to redesign engineering departments to be more inclusive of all student populations, institutions of higher learning are reviewing programs, policies, and the ways they engage students. This paper provides BME programs with some thinking about the integration of DEI into areas of curriculum, assessment, faculty practice and faculty support, infrastructure, and climate for change. This study reports on curricular innovations attempted to date in order to serve as a resource for biomedical undergraduate engineering curricula. The authors have collected critical resources and literature related to integrating DEI into courses and content as well as assessment and evaluation approaches. Sections include resources for BME design, diverse anatomy and physiology, person-centered language, ethics, and assessment and evaluation approaches to measuring climate, faculty, and student impacts. In addition to providing resources, we propose that the ABET DEI framework is missing a critical component: justice. We feel that justice should be emphasized, particularly in biomedical engineering programs because our field has the unique opportunity to promote awareness of injustices and racial disparities in the design, development, and delivery of healthcare and medical technologies. While this paper presents examples of integration in several course types and across different topics, it is intended to inspire additional efforts by the BME community to make more concerted changes to promote DEI in our educational programs.Graphical abstractGraphical abstract demonstrating main themes and connections between different themes in the DEI-J framework presented in the paper. Created with BioRender.com.

Transforming developmental education at community colleges through equity‐minded leadership

AbstractThe corequisite support model is a promising developmental education reform effort that is helping students transition into college‐level coursework more quickly. The purpose of this chapter is to shed light on the critical leadership that has enhanced student success in corequisite courses and hold promise in enhancing equity within developmental education. The findings presented in this chapter are based on data from a multi‐year, mixed‐methods research project conducted at Urban Community College (UCC, a pseudonym) in Texas. We utilize equity‐mindedness as a framework for understanding and operationalizing critical leadership at the community college. We focused not on students’ academic abilities, but what faculty and administrative leaders are actively doing to support students in corequisite courses. We specifically draw attention to the exceptional leadership practices of faculty as instructors and administrators who are effective at facilitating success among racially minoritized students and students from low‐income families who are placed in developmental education.

Compounding Education in US PharmD Curricula

ObjectiveTo determine the extent of compounding education (CE) offered in United States (US) doctor of pharmacy curricula. MethodsA 24-item survey instrument addressing various aspects of CE was developed and validated. An email containing the link to the survey instrument was shared with instructors of compounding at 122 of 141 accredited schools and colleges of pharmacy in the US. ResultsOf these, 112 schools and colleges responded, rendering a survey response rate of 91.8%. Survey results indicate that CE is offered to a similar extent either as a required standalone course or as integrated instruction as part of a standard course. Whereas 70.8% of programs reported mostly hands-on training in CE in their curricula, there were about 11% programs that mostly offered didactic instruction in CE. Dispersed systems and semisolid formulations are the most prepared in nonsterile compounding, while proper hand washing, garbing, and gloving are the most taught techniques in sterile compounding. Compounding education is delivered principally by pharmaceutics faculty (62.3%) compared to practice faculty (32.1%). ConclusionThe survey determined the extent to which CE is addressed across different schools and colleges of pharmacy in the US. Although some institutions lack minimal nonsterile or sterile compounding facilities, they may improve by modeling the established programs in the country. Leadership at pharmacy institutions may need to allocate funds for CE, and support faculty who instruct in compounding.

Mediating Effect of Philosophical Orientation to the Transformational Instruction Practices and the Implementation of Flexible Learning: Basis for Institutionalizing Students’ University Experience

This study examined the Mediating Effect of Philosophical Orientation to the Transformational Instruction Practices and the Implementation of Flexible Learning: Basis for Institutionalizing Students’ University Experience. Thus, this design used in the study is mixed-method design utilizing three thousand 3rd and 4th year students of LSPU system. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics which includes Cross tabulation, standard deviation, mean, and regression analysis for the quantitative part. The study revealed that the philosophical orientation among faculty in LSPU system as “Highly Observed”. The transformational instruction practices of faculty in LSPU system as “Highly Practiced”. Implementation of flexible learning at LSPU system as “Highly Effective”. The students' university experience at LSPU system as “Often”. The teacher’s transformational instruction practices as to collaboration and inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation of implementation of flexible learning affect only the level of students’ university experience. While the remaining sub-variables does not affect the level of students’ university experience. Still, the null hypothesis is rejected. The philosophical orientations of the teacher mediate the effect of transformational instruction practices and implementation of flexible learning to the student’s university experience. Thus, the null hypothesis is rejected. In the light of the findings and conclusions, here are the recommendations: Continuous need for reskilling and upskilling and professional development for our faculty to be competitive and relevant in the new normal in education. A technology-enriched collaborative environment could be promoted since collaborative learning environments are where students thrive. In dealing with teachers’ philosophical orientation, they may specify existentialism as philosophy that could be the focus of the study phenomenological method to really dive to the personal and in-depth experiences of the learners.

Reflective thinking in higher education: examining practices of higher education faculty

ABSTRACT A reflective teacher thinking paradigm usually might shape the teaching practices of professionals, especially in learner-centered educational environments. This study aims to reveal reflective thinking and reflective practices of qualified faculty in higher education institutions in more than twenty countries. To do that, 257 responses to a 5-point scale questionnaire from volunteer university faculty were analyzed. The relationship between reflective thinking and other components of the questionnaire is also presented in the study. The results provide evidence that reflective thinking is not a stand-alone attribute, and it works together with other abilities such as self-assessment, teaching awareness, and self-efficacy. The responses of the faculty were also examined and discussed. Based on the results, most of them have an interest in self-discovery and awareness on what they teach, assess their performance, and value feedback although the scores present a low performance on reflective thinking individually.

Opening the Black Box: Agreement and Reliability of a Situational Judgment Test Across Multiple Institutions

ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to examine the levels of agreement and reliability of a situational judgment test (SJT) using a diverse pool of pharmacy practice faculty as subject matter experts. Secondary aims included analyses to build support for test validity and fairness. MethodsAn SJT containing 18 scenarios and 118 responses assessing empathy, integrity, and teamwork was developed and delivered to pharmacy practice faculty at 5 schools of pharmacy across the United States. Reliability was assessed by examining internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, and split-half reliability. Only responses which attained an inter-rater agreement>0.7 were included in the final version of the SJT. All responses were scored using a near-miss system, allowing higher scores for answers more closely aligned with the key, which was determined by the faculty who completed the SJT. Test fairness was reported using descriptive statistics. ResultsThirty-nine faculty across the 5 participating institutions completed the SJT. The final version of the SJT included 105 responses, achieving an inter-rater agreement of>0.7 (inter-rater reliability of 0.98). Split-half reliability was 0.72. The average score was 85.7%, and no differences in performance were observed based on demographic characteristics. ConclusionAn SJT designed to assess empathy, integrity, and teamwork achieved reasonable levels of reliability among pharmacy practice faculty across the United States, and the results provided initial support for test validity and fairness. These results support a pilot to assess this SJT among students representing multiple institutions.

Evaluation of the simulation based training quality assurance tool (SBT-QA10) as a measure of learners’ perceptions during the action phase of simulation

BackgroundIn an earlier interview-based study the authors identified that learners experience one or more of eight explicit perceptual responses during the active phase of simulation-based training (SBT) comprising a sense: of belonging to instructor and group, of being under surveillance, of having autonomy and responsibility for patient management, of realism, of an understanding of the scenario in context, of conscious mental effort, of control of attention, and of engagement with task. These were adapted into a ten-item questionnaire: the Simulation Based Training Quality Assurance Tool (SBT-QA10) to allow monitoring of modifiable factors that may impact upon learners’ experiences. This study assessed the construct validity evidence of the interpretation of the results when using SBT-QAT10.Materials and methodsRecently graduated doctors and nurses participating in a SBT course on the topic of the deteriorating patient completed the SBT-QAT10 immediately following their participation in the scenarios. The primary outcome measure was internal consistency of the questionnaire items and their correlation to learners’ satisfaction scores. A secondary outcome measure compared the impact of allocation to active versus observer role.ResultsA total of 349 questionnaires were returned by 96 course learners. The median of the total score for the ten perception items (TPS) was 39 (out of 50), with no significant difference between the scenarios. We identified fair and positive correlations between nine of the 10 items and the SBT-QA10-TPS, the exception being “mental effort”. Compared to observers, active learners reported significantly more positive perceptions related to belonging to the team and interaction with the instructor, their sense of acting independently, and being focused. The questionnaire items were poorly correlated with the two measures of global satisfaction.ConclusionExcept for the item for mental effort, the QA10-TPS measures learners’ experiences during the active phase of simulation scenarios that are associated with a positive learning experience. The tool may have utility to learners, instructors, and course providers by informing subsequent debriefing and reflection upon practice for learners and faculty. The relationship between these perceptions and commonly used measures of satisfaction remains poorly understood raising questions about the value of the latter.

LEVEL OF AWARENESS OF GRADUATE FELLOWS ON DESIGN THINKING MINDSET: BASIS FOR CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENT

The study explored the level of awareness of the graduate school (GS) fellows on the 19 Design Thinking (DT) mindsets and its implications for curriculum enhancement. A descriptive quantitative design was used with a sample of 112 GS fellows chosen through complete enumeration. The results showed that GS fellows had varying levels of awareness of the different components of DT mindsets. While some components, such as embracing risk, abductive thinking, and tolerance for ambiguity were less understood by the participants, other components, such as problem reframing, learning-oriented, and critical questioning were well-understood. Furthermore, the results indicated that the level of awareness of the design thinking mindset varied across different disciplines, with some disciplines showing a higher level of awareness than others. The findings suggest that there is a need for curriculum enhancement to increase the awareness and understanding of DT mindsets among GS fellows. Specifically, the curriculum should incorporate opportunities for experiential learning, multidisciplinary collaboration, and problem-based learning. Added, there is a need to assess the extent of the practice of the GS faculty of the Design Thinking Attributes.

Vaccination uptake for pertussis and influenza vaccines in pregnancy among different practices at a single institution.

The authors investigated tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) and influenza vaccination during pregnancy following Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP's) recommendation for antenatal pertussis vaccination. A retrospective chart review was performed in 2019 of women receiving prenatal care at our institution between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018. Receipt of ACIP-recommended vaccines were examined using Current Procedural Terminology codes to identify initiation of prenatal care, then administration of Tdap and influenza vaccines. Data were examined by individual practice (university faculty, community physicians, obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) residents, and family medicine residents, practice staff composition, vaccination protocol use, and insurance status. Statistical analyses were performed using χ2 testing and χ2 testing of linear trend. Within our cohort (n = 17 973), highest vaccination uptake occurred in the university-based OBGYN faculty practice (Tdap = 58.2%, influenza = 56.5%) with lowest uptake in the OBGYN resident practice (Tdap = 28.6%, influenza = 18.5%). Higher uptake occurred in practices with standing orders, more advanced practice providers, lower provider to nursing ratios, and lower rates of Medicaid insurance. These data demonstrated higher vaccination uptake with standing orders, more advanced practice providers, and lower provider to nurse ratios. Future work optimizing practice staff composition and vaccination protocols may increase vaccine uptake.

How am i doing? Using self-mentoring practices to improve a tenure-track faculty’s online instructional strategies

ABSTRACT Junior faculty members face pressure to excel in the threefold mission of their assignment (teaching, research, and service) because the tenure process is complex and requires one to balance many diverse and competing demands. This qualitative study analyzed the self-mentoring practices of a tenure-track faculty who strove to improve his instructional practices in online courses. The study used online surveys and collected data from 363 graduate students. The findings indicated that students appreciated the instructor’s instructional techniques for connecting with learners, creating classroom interaction, providing constructive feedback, and remaining approachable and caring. Given the stressful nature of untenured faculty’s challenges inherent to online graduate courses, this study suggests self-mentoring is an effective reflective practice for new faculty to enhance their instructional practices. The study further recommends the development of faculty social-emotional competencies, the promotion of faculty self-reflective practices, and the use of faculty self-designed mid-term evaluation for instructional improvement.

A review of the American College of Surgeons accredited education institutes' assessment practices for learners, faculty, and continuous program improvement.

Simulation is an instructional modality that offers opportunities for assessment across many domains. The American College of Surgeons created the Accredited Education Institutes (AEIs) to build a community of high-quality simulation centers focused around improving surgical education and training. The goals of this project were to identify assessment methods used by AEIs, discuss how these methods align with established assessment frameworks, identify best practices, and provide guidance on best practice implementation. The authors analyzed responses regarding learner assessment, faculty assessment, and continuous program improvement from AEI accreditations surveys using deductive qualitative analysis. Data from ninety-six centers were reviewed. Codes for each category were organized into formal and informal themes. For learner assessment, examinations and checklists identified as the most common types of formal assessment used and oral feedback as the most common type of informal assessment. For faculty assessment, written evaluations were the most common formal type and debriefs were the most common informal type. For continuous program improvement, written evaluations were the most common formal type and oral feedback was the most frequent informal type. The goal of assessment should be to encourage learning through feedback and to ensure the attainment of educational competencies. The data revealed a variety of assessment modalities used to accomplish this goal with AEIs frequently utilizing some of the most reliable forms of assessment. We discuss how these forms of assessment can be integrated with best practices to develop assessment portfolios for learners and faculty, performance improvement reports for faculty, and assessments of clinical impact. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44186-023-00132-6.

Clinical evaluation of cemented and adhesively resin-bonded monolithic and partially layered zirconia and lithium disilicate crowns

PurposeZirconia and lithium disilicate crowns are very popular dental restorations. The cement type and layering technique used can profoundly affect the clinical performance of these crowns.This retrospective study is designed to investigate the success rate of cemented and adhesively bonded monolithic and partially layered zirconia and lithium disilicate crowns placed in faculty practice settings. Materials and MethodsPatients who had received zirconia or lithium disilicate crowns at the faculty practice were invited for clinical examination. The examiner used the modified United States Public Health Service (MUSPHS) evaluation criteria to evaluate the crowns. The crowns were either glass ionomer cemented zirconia (GIC-Zr), resin-bonded zirconia (Adh-Zr), or resin-bonded lithium disilicate (Adh-LD). The crowns were also divided into monolithic and layered groups. Inferential analysis was used to examine the differences through bivariate analysis using t-testing and one-way ANOVA. ResultsThirty-five patients, with a combined total of 218 single crowns, agreed to participate in the study. No statistically significant differences in the quality outcome variables considered were found between the groups, except for marginal adaptation, where Adh-Zr achieved significantly higher scores compared to GIC-Zr and Adh-LD. Layered zirconia and lithium disilicate crowns have significantly higher quality outcomes in terms of anatomic form, marginal adaptation, and color match compared to monolithic zirconia and lithium disilicate crowns. ConclusionsConventionally cemented zirconia and adhesively bonded zirconia and lithium disilicate crowns are reliable treatment options with high short-term success rates. Clinical studies with longer follow-up times are needed to investigate their long-term success rates.