Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery - Dental Columbian Yearbook (New York, NY)

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Faculty

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,k MAURICE J. HICKEY, D.M.D., M.D. Associate Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for Dental and Oral Surgery The dental profession was founded to satisfy the need to treat disease of the oral cavity. The growth of the dental profession was, to a large extent, based on the development of techniques that would pro- vide more and longer-lasting treatment of existing dental disease. Undergraduate dental education has, of necessity, placed considerable stress on the treat- ment phase of dentistry. It must be emphasized that as long as we cannot teach prevention and cure of disease, we must teach methods of repairing the dam- age done by disease. For a better understanding of the true meaning of dental education we must look upon the present system as being divided into two phases. In the first phase the teaching effort is concentrated upon the biological sciences, often diluted for dental stu- dents. In the second phase the emphasis is placed upon teaching the techniques required in the treat- ment of dental disease. The end result is a fragmenta- tion of education without the correlation essential to an understanding of dentistry. The dentist upon entering practice assumes a responsibility for the welfare of people. This responsi- bility goes beyond the ability to examine teeth and arrive at a satisfactory treatment plan. This responsi- bility demands that the practitioner have a full under- standing of the practice of oral medicine. To assume this responsibility the dentist must be able to apply his education in the biological sciences to the clinical practice of dentistry. The growth of dentistry to its rightful place in the health science profession has raised a prob- lem that seems to be frequently overlooked by stu- dent, teacher, and the profession. This problem is introduced by the fact that dentistry, a science, has outgrown the curriculum of the undergraduate schools. The attitude that graduation from dental school insures competence to practice is ingrained in the mind of the student. The student leaves school after four years with the feeling that his faculty failed to provide him with the experience in all branches of dentistry required to make him a com- petent clinician. The fact that the school can only provide a basic understanding of a rapidly growing profession seems to escape the student. To assume his responsibility to the profession and to his patients the graduate must seek further education through internship and post-graduate programs. Our curricu- lum today may produce reasonable competence in the fundamentals of clinical dentistry, but it can pro- vide only academic knowledge in the specialty prac- tice of dentistry. To dilute our present curriculum to provide teaching in all areas of clinical dentistry would result in a graduate with a little training in everything and competence in nothing. The student and the school must assume that undergraduate education is only a preliminary step to the practice of dentistry. We must, in the four years available, adapt our teaching to provide the student an education in the biological sciences and a basic training in the principles of clinical practice. The emphasis in this teaching should be aimed to- wards correlating these two phases of dental educa- tion into a single unit designed to provide a solid foundation upon which the true professional man, imbued with the spirit of dentistry as a health serv- ice, may find his own place in the dental profession. Dr. Maurice J. Hickey

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Carl R. Oman, D.D.S. Professor of Dentistry Dental education is becoming an increasingly complex process as evidenced not only by the expansion of the dental curriculum — but by the greater needs of today ' s graduate being familiar with the signs and symptoms of general systemic diseases. Often the dentist can be of help to the physician in first observing conditions in the mouth which may indicate need for treatment by the physician. The public health picture is strongly focused on mouth diseases and diseases of dental origin. Economic high- lights slanted toward dentistry demand that workers should not be obliged to lose time away from their regular employment because of dental neglect or dental failures and faulty treatment. Prevention of dental ills is an integral part of the public health program. The mastery o f fine technics and the development of the skill of execution is of the utmost importance in the educa- tion of the dentist — the major portion of the student ' s time is thus occupied. New devices, instruments and materials must be evaluated in the light of the dentist ' s need for these very important accessories. The needs of the patient are ever changing as he ages — from childhood to the period when all teeth have been lost. The dentist must be trained to care for all of his pa- tients, whatever the situation may be. This is the responsi- bility of dental educators. We are attempting to do this to the best of our abilities. Along with this, we must aid the student in developing judgment, that he may apply his newly acquired skills and knowledge for the benefit of his patient. In the main, the journey from the freshman year through the intervening years to the climax of graduation is a de- lightful experience and all too short. The eagerness of the student to learn makes the role of the teacher or instructor a pleasant one indeed. An inspirational teacher can and does pass on to the student some of his motivation for the per- formance of dental service. Entering in practice, the complex nature of comprehensive dental treatment is a challenge to the young dentist, to his ingenuity, skill, judgment and knowledge. The responsibility of the dental school to its graduates is here faced with its greatest test — the mirror in which is reflected the success or failure of Alma Mater. Dr. Carl R. Oman Operative dentistry Irvin L. Hunt, Jr., DJ .S. Edward A. Cain, Jr., Assoc. Prof, of Dentistry B.S., DX .S. Assoc. Prof, of Dentistry Harold Sherman, B.S., D.D.S. Asst. Clin. Prof, of Dentistry William H. Silverstein, D.D.S. Asst. Clin. Prof, of Dentistry Joseph E. Fiasconaro, B.S., D.D.S. Asst. Clin. Prof, of Dentistry Joseph M. Leavitt, B.S., D.D.S. Asst. Clin. Prof, of Dentistry William Miller, D.D.S. Inst, in Dentistry Herbert P. Fritz, D.D.S. Inst, in Dentistry fSLiil Stanislaw H. Brzustowicz, D.D.S. Inst, in Dentistry James Benfield, DD.S. Steven Scrivani, D.D.S. Inst, in Dentistry Inst, in Dentistry Kenneth C. Deesen, Irving J. Naidorf, D DS. Gerald H. Bescn, D D.S. George Lyons, D.D.S. D.D.S. Asst. in Dentistry Asst. in Dentistry Asst. in Dentistry Asst. in Dentistry