33072 Sea Bright Drive, Dana Point, CA 92629, us
Dental Educators and Students
Teaching more effectively
Many dental schools are now hiring less experienced dentists as teachers (less experienced clinically, and less experienced in teaching). Teaching is not something that comes naturally to everyone. It must be based first on a profound understanding of the subject at hand (with clinical experience underling it). One must also be able to communicate in a way, and at the level, that each student needs.
We often work with individual students that are struggling, and we need to discover the key to their learning progress by being open minded and intuitive. We need to be able to communicate critical concepts such as visualization in three dimensions and positioning and control of movement. We also need to use the best approach to hands-on teaching in order to assure that the student actually DOES see what we are showing them.
Dr. Duggan has taught hands-on for over 25 years in a variety of venues - and has enjoyed mentoring many very effective teachers over the years.
The full program of mentoring is carried out through Duggan Institute of Dentistry. But the fundamental concepts for student management are handled on an individual consultation basis with Dr. Duggan.
One of the things Dr. Duggan does in these consultation sessions is to act the part of the struggling student, and ask you to note the sources of difficulty. He then will ask you to communicate those sources of difficulty to the “student”. Precision of observation and clarity of communication are of paramount importance.
Learning more effectively
As a student it is not always obvious WHY you should do the things you are asked to do. Rarely do teachers make clear the most effective way to DO it. This is one of the most frustrating things about dental school, in the U.S. or abroad. Often, even the efficient use of the mirror is not well taught or even encouraged.
Dr. Duggan can work with struggling students, and students who want to achieve the highest level of success, on a consultation basis. These consults include an understanding of the learning principles that he found worked for him, and that he has found work for thousands of his students. This process can inform the practical courses that he teaches through Duggan Institute of Dentistry. But in these consults, his focus is on principles and approach. When you have a sound approach to the learning process, students can learn at the highest level, and achieve a high level of performance.
One must develop a clear sense of visualization in three dimensions. For many students this is the primary challenge. But if you can achieve this you can actually do complex preparations in your head. You can see what you need to see at each step, so that each stroke with the bur is precisely controlled.
One must also develop a clear sense of what mistakes compromise the lifetime of the restoration. These mistakes are likely to cause the restoration to fail prematurely. Dr. Duggan can help you grasp these fundamentals naturally, so that your work flows smoothly from your minds-eye image.
Dr. Duggan is also working on a series of movement awareness lessons designed to help every student be more aware of their body positioning (including the position of the lumbar spine, the torso, the neck, the rotation of the head, the position of the left hand with the mirror and the individual muscles of the right hand holding the hand piece). This is all carried out AS the procedure is executed.
The goal is to have each student carry out dental procedures in the most efficient, and comfortable way possible. This involves 1) awareness of body position by proprioception and 2) movement from one position to another with full intention. This is a unique offering and he is bringing important lessons developed decades ago in the field of sensorimotor psychology. He is doing this with the guidance of one of the most experienced practitioners in that field.
The various ways in which Dr. Duggan can help you learn will expand even more over the coming years. He will undoubtedly help you achieve greater success in your didactic coursework. You do NOT need to be alone in the learning process. Now you can have a guide down a proven path.