Pilot project for the "Internship to Gain Experience in the Professional Field" in dentistry studies with a focus on acquiring communicative skills

Background. The new dental licensing regulations provide for a professional field internship to give students an initial, comprehensive insight into their later professional field. The location, implementation and assessment are not specified and can take place within university dentistry or in cooperation with dental practices. The Kiel Dental Clinic decided to develop a concept for a two-week course, including practical training in private practices, and to take greater account of aspects of medical interviewing. Based on a theoretical introduction and an e-learning module, this is to be the introduction to a longitudinal communication curriculum. In the summer semester of 2021, a pilot project was carried out with the aim of developing the necessary course infrastructure and content and linking it with teaching content on communicative competences.Methods. A controlled intervention study (one measurement point) was conducted with 21 fourth-semester students (two groups with and without e-learning module) and 20 dental practices. The students received documents on the organisation, procedure and documentation of various interview situations before the one-week internship. Students and practices were comprehensively evaluated after the end of the internship.Results. Students and practices were satisfied with the organisation, the documents provided and the process. The e-learning module was well received. The format of the internship report proved to be impractical and was adapted.Discussion. The project goals were successfully achieved. The results will be incorporated into the concrete design and implementation of the new curricular course starting summer semester 2022.