Teaching method

The excellence of the training in dentistry at UCL is mainly due to the clinical supervision and the quality of the work placements.

Clinical teaching is an important part of the programme, accounting for 63 of the total 120 credits. As students gradually acquire essential theoretical and preclinical skills, the teaching becomes concentrated on these clinics. At first, students on work placement are very closely supervised ; gradually, they are trained and encouraged to develop autonomy in their work so that they can work completely independently once they have gained their degree. It should be emphasized that at the end of the Master programme, assessment only relates to the clinical placements and the dissertation. The dissertation enables students to gain appreciation and a critical attitude which go together with high quality technical skills.

To help achieve these objectives, some teachers (Bac 2 & Bac 3) have created a teaching strategy which involves students in their own learning and enables them, throughout their training, to develop a critical attitude towards their future profession. There are therefore various different learning situations designed to attain the same objectives.

It is also important to note that an interdisciplinary course is organized as part of the Master programme : the implantology course includes subjects more commonly taught in other disciplines (stomatology, periodontics and prosthetics). This course brings together clinical concepts relating to treatments which involve implants and subsequent prosthetic reconstruction.

The assessment of the theoretical part of the course is done conventionally.
However, assessment of the work placements is continuous. Students must demonstrate that they have acquired essential clinical skills and can act independently when faced with different clinical cases. Clinical assessments are an important part of the work over the whole period, together with the presentation and practical work on a clinical case under the supervision of a Head of Department in the relevant area. This assessment also takes into account students’ progress throughout the work placement.