Recent changes in the curriculum of Chinese dental schools

Abstract

Chinese dental education is organized and controlled by the government at different levels, and the curriculum is based on the stomatology model. The unique feature of this system has been a heavy emphasis on the medical sciences and the integration of medicine with dentistry. However, the problems with this curriculum have been greater than its advantages since a dental student trained under this educational model was unlikely to be well prepared for patient care in a clinical setting and could struggle to apply modern techniques during his or her professional career. From 1995 to 2000, six well-known Chinese dental schools participated in a curriculum innovation project supported by the central government. This article describes the educational model developed during the project and presents several new educational concepts that have been put into practice in dental schools in China. Nevertheless, the new model is not without problems. If there are no additional innovations related to didactic teaching methods, clinical education, and interpersonal skills, the outcome of recent changes in the curriculum of Chinese dental schools will be unpredictable, and our dental education will not continue to advance.