What the SPEC?
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Transcript of What the SPEC?
WHY A STUDENT PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS CLUB CAN HELP YOUR SCHOOL AND HOW TO START
YOUR OWN CHAPTER.
What the SPEC?
Student Professionalism and Ethics Club
Why SPEC?
“The August 2007 issue of the Journal of Dental Education,
reports a study by Andrews et al. in which 1,153 dental students
were surveyed regarding academic integrity. The results showed
that 74.7% of students admitted to some level of cheating. This
report, coupled with accounts of students forging faculty
signatures on patient charts, performing unnecessary procedures
on patients in order to complete requirements and of institutions
taking monetary contributions to accept students to specialty
programs, among many others, conveys to us that immediate
action must be taken.” ASDA White Paper on Ethics
Student Professionalism and Ethics Club
Resolution Number: 303-2009 Title: Collaboration of ASDA and SPEC Sponsors: Ray Klein Southern California Nicola Malik Southern
California Anahita Taraporewalla Southern California Nima Mirmoghtadaei Southern California Andrew Seymore Southern California
Board of Trustees Comments: The Board recommends a yes vote. RESOLUTION Resolved, that ASDA collaborate with the Student Professionalism
and Ethics Club (SPEC), and be it further, Resolved, that the ASDA Council on Professional Issues, in
collaboration with at least one SPEC founder, determine the most appropriate method of disseminating information regarding SPEC, and be it further
Resolved, that the ASDA Council on Professional Issues, in collaboration with at least one SPEC founder, determine the most appropriate method of starting SPEC chapters at each dental school, and be it further
House Action: Adopted by the House
How it all got started
In May of 2007 the first SPEC chapter was formed at USC. From there it has grown into chapters at schools across the country.
SPEC at USC
SPEC Mission Statement:
The purpose of this organization is to increase the overall level of ethics and professionalism at the USC School of Dentistry. By uniting the community of students, faculty and staff of USCSD, SPEC will promote lifelong thought
and action in the arena of dental ethics. Through various programs, activities and associations, SPEC aims to
foster an environment where ethical and professional behavior issues can be addressed in an open, unbiased forum. SPEC aims to further the ethical education of
every student at USCSD and help achieve the development of ethical and professional behavior in the
educational setting that will accompany the students throughout their professional careers. SPEC also aims to
form a student-centered committee to mediate and resolve concerns relative to professional behavior.
SPEC at USC
Is not: Closed to any student for any reason. A substitution for the Ethics Committee. Any
concerns you bring about student or faculty behavior will remain confidential.
A “policing” body. Boring …
SPEC at USC
Monthly gathering to discuss the field of ethics, asking questions, and sharing ideas
Bringing renowned speakers in the field to USC as part of the Dean’s Lecture Series
Providing early exposure at 1st year orientation
Acting as student advocates and improving student-faculty relations
SPEC at USC
Amalgam vs composite
SPEC at USC
Recognition and sponsorship from the American Society for Dental Ethics, the American College of Dentists, and the American Student Dental Association
Helping dental schools across the country start their own chapters of SPEC through the use of an Ethics Start-up Kit and advising
SPEC at USC
Catching up with technology Website: SpecDental.org SPEC Blog and Facebook page, Group: “SPEC Dental”
SPEC at OHSU
Started in April of 2009 after ASDA passed the resolution to support SPEC.
We wanted SPEC at OHSU to be specific for our school and to get as many students involved in the process as possible.
Step One: “What would students at the OHSU School of Dentistry like to see from an ethics club?”
What does the administration and faculty want to see from an ethics club?
SPEC at OHSU
What did the students want?Better forum for student teacher communicationMore preventive measures put in place to
prevent cheatingMore students advocacy on the ethics
committee, a stronger student voiceDiscussions about ethics in a variety of Dental
settings What some common ethical lawsuits brought against
dentists? What are some problems students face in the clinic? What problems are practicing dentists facing in ethics?
SPEC at OHSU
What the Administration and Faculty wanted to see.
Better communications with the students, ideas on how to prevent unethical behavior.
Ideas on how to better enforce the code of ethics.
See more students discuss ethical issues. To have students more involved in dealing with
ethical problems or situations when they do occur, more students on the ethics committee.
SPEC at OHSU
Declarations Page: Faculty wanted a better way to prevent cheating and uphold the Code of Ethics without making students feel like they are already cheaters.
“As a condition of having my examination scored, I, __________________________(print name), hereby affirm my understanding and obligation to abide by the of the OHSU School of Dentistry Code of Ethics.”
SPEC at OHSU
1st years designing their own code of ethicsFamiliarity with the Code of EthicsPersonal input in the CodeBetter enforcement of the CodeFewer questions and gray areas in the CodePersonal accountability to uphold the Code
SPEC at Your School
What do you as ASDA leaders envision SPEC to be like at your school?
Each school has its own strengths and weaknesses, how will you work with these?
What does your school need?Do you want to organize case studies in
Ethics?Revise your school code of ethics?Break the culture of unethical behavior?Have guest speakers come?
SPEC at Your School
Why start-up a chapter? “why does ethics matter?”
How do we start? core group of 10 students and a faculty member. A knowledgeable club advisor is invaluable when discussing things such as ethics history or theory, or even clinical protocol.
How often to meet? What about the administration/faculty? Now what? (What do we do at the meetings?)
ACD (www.dentalethics.org)Funding –school’s general “club” fund, ACD
regional reps, etcAuxillary Sources of helpSPEC National - Newsletter, Facebook!
Contacts
Facebook (Group: SPEC Dental)Website: specdental.org
Patrick Corning – Oregon Health Science University [email protected]
Nima Mir – University of Southern California [email protected]