Neuruppin, 28 November 2024
The Brandenburg Model Curriculum in Dental Medicine (BMZ) developed by the MHB has been evaluated and accredited by AHPGS, the accreditation agency for study programs in the area of health and social affairs. The evaluation of study programs is an important tool of quality control in tertiary education and aims to ensure that a course meets defined quality standards and provides adequate training.
Representatives of the responsible approbation authorities met with the agency experts for an on-site inspection in summer 2024 to assess the quality of the practice-oriented program and its specific adequacy for professional training. They interviewed MHB executives, faculty members, program organizers, instructors and students of medicine and dental medicine. What the first cohort of students enrolled for dental medicine from April 2024 appreciate in particular is the module structure with a close integration of theory and practical exercises right from the start. The preliminary examination was abolished, which means less exam stress for students and the chance to fully focus on course contents.
The reviewers attest a well-conceived course concept on the basis of experience won from the previously developed medical curriculum. They also point to the ‘Z curriculum’ as systematic integration of basic-scientific knowledge in human and dental medicine in the first stage of studies, and the format of ‘Problem-Oriented Learning’ as positive elements. Another aspect highly commended by the reviewers is the ‘student-at-risk’concept; this involves monitoring data which activate support for students in difficulties who will then be paired with a mentor. The evaluation report underlines the high degree of dedication on the part of all involved in the program and the benefit for the provision of dental care in view of the general shortage of dentists in Brandenburg.
MHB president Prof. Hans-Uwe Simon welcomes the accreditation of the latest MHB program: “It is always a challenge to establish a new program. The AHPGS vote confirms our efforts and motivates us to further advance the course. Our thanks go to all parties involved in the process – instructors, students and supportive units. The BMZ and the training of young dentists contribute significantly to ensuring dental care for the population in Brandenburg, specifically in the countryside.”
The new course started with 48 new students in Brandenburg an der Havel last spring. The second cohort of 48 will be enrolled in April 2025. The premises of a former local power station are currently being reconstructed to create an up-to-date dental clinic, where dental students from their seventh semester are scheduled to be trained in direct patient contact from 2026 onwards.
For more detailed information on the MHB program in dental medicine see here.
