The 2015 Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program (ADCFP)

Student Fellow Guide

Fellowship Program that began in 2006 by a startup grant from the ADA Foundation.

Administered and supported by ADEA & AAL

Connecting a dental student (or Fellow) with a faculty mentor to provide the student insight to the day-to-day

life of a faculty educator or researcher.

What is the ADCFP?

Program Objectives for Student Fellows

• Provide students the opportunity to explore career pathways within academic dentistry such a teaching and research.

• Students can choose to focus mainly on one of two tracks: 1. Teaching Track and conduct educational (didactic or clinical) research2. Biomedical/basic science research track.

Students should consider these two tracks when selecting a faculty mentor.

• Expand the peer and professional networks of students and enhance their engagement with the faculty.

The Faculty Mentor

Role & Responsibilities:

• Co-create Action Plan with Fellow.

• Meet with Fellow biweekly: in person (preferably) or virtually.

• Provide Fellow mentorship and logistical assistance with teaching/ research projects.

• Manage Fellow’s progress in program and provide feedback to Fellow on projects.

The Student Fellow

• ADCFP activity is from April-December 2015. Student works on Final Project from January until the March 2016 ADEA Annual Session.

• D1-D4 students in dentistry, allied health, and postgraduate programs who are interested in learning about alternative careers in dentistry such as teaching or research.

• Each institution can create their own application or utilize the 2014 application.

• Student should be in good academic standing and able to handle this additional program while maintaining satisfactory dental school grades.

• Option to exhibit final poster based on their research project at the 2016 ADEA Annual Session.

Pairing Faculty Mentors and Student Fellows

Students who are interested in the ADCFP have the option to either identify a specific faculty they desire to be mentored by or be paired with a faculty who did not identify a specific student to mentor during the recruitment phase.

2015 ADCFP Fellow Guide

Each Fellow and mentor pair can design their own unique experience utilizing the following program components, choose some components, or design their own projects.

We recommend at minimum that each Student Fellow:

• Meet with faculty mentor twice monthly.• Complete Action Plan by May 2015.• Reflection papers• Complete research project

The following program components have been used in past programming.

ADCFP Program Components

1. ADCFP Action Plan

2. Bi-monthly collaboration meetings between Fellow and mentor

3. Career Reflection Essays (2)-at beginning and at conclusion.

4. Faculty/administrator interviews

5. Teaching track practicum

6. Research track practicum

7. Other Activities

8. Poster presentation at the ADEA Annual Session

9. ADCFP Final Portfolio

1. ACTION PLAN

ADCFP ACTION PLAN

This plan will include a brief description of the final culminating poster research project and a preliminary timeline to complete the project as well as other professional and personal goals the fellow plans to achieve.

Each Fellow/faculty mentor pair will have latitude in designing their own program in coordination with ADEA and AAL- unique to their institution and student/mentor goals.

Example of Fellow-Mentor ADCFP Action Plan

• Fellow’s personal objectives for the year.

• Mentor-Fellow bi-weekly meeting schedule.

• Fellow’s 1st Career Reflection essay.

• Roster of faculty to be interviewed.

• List of Fellow’s teaching assignments.

• Research project description.

• Other activities planned to achieve objectives.

• Due May 2015.

• Examples of past Action Plans available.

Fellow’s Personal Objectives

• 2-3 Objectives and Assessments

• What will be the experiences that will define your program? Personal goals?

• Identify a teaching activity or research project.

• Teaching Track examples: work on developing a syllabus, course objectives, a lecture, lunch and learn for students; develop assessment tool.

• Research Track examples: designing a new project or working on current mentor project-role? Lunch and learn for students.

• Co-mentor: perhaps in alternate dental field of expertise.

2. Bi-Monthly Meetings

Fellow and Mentor Bi Monthly Meetings

Meetings should be in person but can be virtual if necessary.

Should be 30 minutes in length. Students should prepare questions prior to meeting.

THIS IS THE MOST CRUCIAL ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM-no matter how busy both student and faculty may be, meetings should never be cancelled. They can occasionally be rescheduled, shortened, or virtual—but never cancelled.

3. CAREER REFLECTION ESSAYS

Sample Career Reflection Essays (2-3 pages double spaced)

• Self-reflect on why you are interested in an academic career.

• Identify priorities for the professional component of your life (what are your career goals? Where does academia/research fit in?).

• Articulate the values, preferences, & principles that guide your concept of being an educator.

• Describe your impressions of what it is like to be a

dental school faculty member.• Identity the motivations/challenges you associate with

choosing an academic career.

Essay #1 (May 2015-Action Plan)

Essay #2 (March 2016-Final Portfolio)

4. FACULTY/ADMINISTRATOR INTERVIEWS

Faculty/Administrator Interviews-Faculty Types

Categories

Assistant professor on “triple threat” (traditional) tenure track: teaching, research and service (junior faculty; not tenured)

Full time assistant professor with appointment emphasizing clinical teaching (junior faculty; not tenured)

Part-time assistant professor with clinical teaching emphasis

Assistant professor with appointment emphasizing research(junior faculty; not tenured)

Tenured associate professor with emphasis on clinical teaching and service (mid-career)

Tenured associate professor with appointment emphasizing research (mid-career)

Tenured basic science faculty member who teaches in dental school curriculum (mid-career)

Tenured full professor in clinical department (senior faculty)

Chair of a clinical department (senior faculty)

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Clinical Affairs or Student Affairs (senior faculty)

Dean of the School (senior faculty)

How long have you been in your present position?

Have you held faculty appointments previously at other dental schools?  What are your primary responsibilities in your current position? Describe a typical day for you during the school year.

What are the most satisfying aspects of your job right now?What are the least satisfying aspects of your job right now? If you could make one change in your current work environment, what would it be?

What have been the most important influences on how you approach your role as a faculty member?

Did you have, or do you currently have, a mentor or role model who helped you define yourself as a faculty member? Follow-up: If “yes”, how did this person help you?

Why should I consider a career in academic dentistry?

 

Sample Faculty/Administrator Interviews Questions

Faculty/Administrator Interviews

Fellows should have list of questions prepared before interview.

Each faculty interview should be 30- 45 minutes long, maximum.

Each faculty interview should be 1-2 pages double spaced.

After all interviews are completed student should write a reflective paper (2-3 pages double spaced) on their overall impression and themes they identified.

More questions for interviews available.

5. TEACHING TRACK

One (1) teaching experience each semester (2).

4 Educational Settings

Classroom (lecture in didactic course)Preclinical Lab instructor (4 experiences per semester)

Small group case conference/seminarClinic (4 experiences per semester)

Teaching Track Practicum

Fellows’ Teaching Practicum: Classroom or Small Group

Seminar

• Guide topic selection.

Fellow Mentor

• Review objectives & PPt with mentor; conduct rehearsal .

• Develop a assessment tool for participants and self..

• Provide helpful feedback.• Completion assessment.

• Make lecture arrangements.• Assist with classroom run-through.• Observe classroom presentation.

• Develop objectives, PPt, all handouts.

6. BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH TRACK

Biomedical Research Track Practicum

• Focus & Title of Research project.

• Synopsis of project: rationale, study design, methodology(data collection & analysis).

• Research question(s) & Hypothesis.

• Your role/responsibilities in the project.

• Name of faculty member(s) who will supervise.

7. OTHER ACTIVITIES

ADCFP Other Activities: Institutional and National Meetings

• Curriculum Committee (Teaching track) and Research/IRB Committee/AADR groups (Research track

• Intradepartmental Meeting

• Interdepartmental Meeting

• University-wide Meeting

• Attend local or national conference together

Fellow should write a reflection paper for each meeting experience.

(Meeting reflections questions available)

Fellow should have opportunity to attend academic meetings as an observer:

ADCFP Other Activities: Networking

• Informal Meetings (2): Summer (initiated by Mentor) and Fall (initiated by Fellow)

• Monthly Fellow meetings led by different mentors.• Discuss and share experiences.• Guest lecturers• Reflection papers

• Fellows can work in a team and provide lunch and learn to other students regarding academic careers.

• Journal article reviews (example available)

8. ADEA ANNUAL SESSION POSTER

Poster for Annual Session

Poster can focus on (but not limited to):

• Assessment of teaching assignments, including insights about learning from the instructor’s perspective.

(Teaching Track)

• Summary of impressions & findings about academic dental careers derived from faculty interviews.

(Teaching or Research Track)

• Synopsis of educational, clinical, biomedical research project (Teaching or Research Track)

9. FINAL PORTFOLIO

Sample ADCFP Final Portfolio

1. Fellowship plan. 2. Log of Fellow-Mentor meetings.3. Summary of each faculty interview & overall summary of

interviews.4. Career reflection essays (1st and 2nd).5. Teaching assignment schedule and description of each teaching

activity:– Name of Course & course component.– Fellow’s role including specific lecture or seminar topics.– Dates of teaching.

6. Assessments (peer, self, mentor) of teaching activities.7. PowerPoints & handouts from your presentations.8. Protocol & final report for research project.9. Copy of poster.

Document sequence

ADCFP: How to Apply

This is for each school to complete