Undergraduate Curriculum

Goal

The curriculum provides adequate training for dental graduates to practise general dentistry independently and instils in them a commitment to learn throughout their professional lives.

Objectives

The dental graduates should possess:

• a thorough understanding of the biological sciences to enable the integration and correlation of these sciences with clinical dental practice;
• competence in diagnosis of oral and dental diseases including an understanding of the relationship between general and oral diseases;
• clinical skills to provide preventive care and curative treatment for patients in general dental practice;
• the ability to organise and administer a dental practice efficiently;
• the ability to appraise and apply research evidence and new technology to inform their clinical practice;
• a commitment towards continuing education;
• a sense of professional, ethical and social responsibility.

Student-Centred Learning

The Faculty adopts an integrated, multi-disciplinary student-centred approach in its teaching. Key features of the undergraduate curriculum include:

• Competency Based Curriculum

As part of its academic mission, the Faculty adopts a competency-based curriculum for the BDS programme. Undergraduates are provided with a roadmap of competencies to accomplish as they progress through the BDS programme.

At every milestone, there are specific competencies which they will need to accomplish before proceeding to the next. With such an approach, the undergraduates will be actively engaged in planning and pacing their learning and development throughout the programme.

From August 2023, NUS Dentistry in collaboration with the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, NUS Medicine, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and the Department of Pharmacy, will also implement a new interdisciplinary Common Curriculum. The new Common Curriculum for Healthcare Professional Education ensures that our educational objectives are harmonised with the future vision of healthcare, emphasising preventative healthcare and the utilisation of technology and analytics to support elderly in living independently. First-year students from NUS Dentistry will be taking five specially designed courses which will enable them to collaborate across healthcare disciplines to enrich their educational experience. The Common Curriculum is to be completed in the first two years of the candidature. Read more here.

• Small Group Learning

Much of the pre-clinical and clinical teaching in the Faculty is delivered in small groups.  This facilitates close interaction between the undergraduates and staff.  This also provides a conducive environment for peer-led learning.

• Technology-Enhanced Learning

Apart from conventional teaching methods, students will also engage in learning which leverages technology such as augmented and virtual reality to enhance their understanding of key clinical concepts and applications.

• Active and Experiential Learning
  

  The BDS curriculum presents its undergraduates with ample opportunities to engage in active and experiential learning.  In the simulation laboratory, the undergraduates are exposed to a wide range of clinical dental procedures.  During this pre-clinical training, they translate the theory they have learned into practical applications on the simulation models.  Subsequently in the clinical years, the undergraduates apply the pre-clinical training to manage the oral health needs of patients under close supervision.  The undergraduates will also have the opportunity to take part in off-campus learning as they engage in various projects to share their oral health knowledge in the community.

• Overseas Enrichment Programme (OEP)

The Overseas Enrichment Programme (OEP) broadens our students’ educational experience by exposing them to other cultures and different learning environments.  All Year 3 and 4 students have the opportunity to spend 2 weeks in an overseas university in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Japan, China or Australia.

• Mentorship

All undergraduates will be assigned a Faculty staff who will mentor, coach and guide them over the course of the BDS programme.

 

Overview of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)