Pilot study on the effectiveness and students' attitude towards undergraduate training provided by industry

Introduction: Rapid developments in CAD/CAM technology necessitate the adaptation of curriculum content. Limited resources hinder institutions in holding state of the art equipment available for student training.

Materials and methods: A workshop given by an industry partner was organised as part of the final pre-clinical course in prosthodontics for the academic years 2015 and 2016. The workshop on dental ceramics and CAD/CAM technology comprised of lectures and practical demonstrations. Multiple-choice examinations prior to and after the workshop as well as questionnaires were used for assessing effectiveness and students' perception. The test scores and evaluation results were compared using Fisher's exact test of homogeneity (α = 0.05).

Results: The workshop improved students' performance in the written examination. With the exception of 1 question, students having attended the workshop performed significantly better (P < .05). The majority of students felt that the workshop fostered their knowledge in the field of dental ceramics and CAD/CAM. Whilst only a small portion (<10%) disapproved industry-supported education, up to 45% of the participants considered the workshop as sales promotion. The students were undecided on whether or not competitor companies should be invited to present on the same topic and whether or not more industry-supported courses would be beneficial.

Discussion: Industry-supported education appears to be a necessity in the field of CAD/CAM dentistry, but care has to be taken to select adequate partners, and the content of courses has to be controlled.