UFCD Continuing Education: A Message from the Dean

Central to our educational mission, the University of Florida College of Dentistry strives to be your trusted resource for meaningful, top-quality continuing dental education. We are proud to report a 55 percent increase in CDE participation over the past two years as a result of the college's efforts to respond to your feedback and to continually improve venues, course content, and technologies - such as the college's redesigned Web site and videoconferencing capability!

In keeping with this philosophy of continuous improvement, we are pleased to announce three enhancements to our CDE program designed to be responsive to the needs of dental practitioners and their teams.

Perhaps the most exciting of these is the college's addition of CDE courses at the University of Florida Dental Clinic at University Partnership Center on the St. Petersburg College Seminole campus, which opened September of 2005. This two-story, 14,000 square-foot clinic features nearly two-dozen operatories and spacious classrooms equipped with videoconferencing technology to accommodate hands-on workshops, onsite lectures and distance learning. More than 10 CDE courses are offered from the St. Petersburg clinic in 2006/2007, and we think you'll agree the clinic is a state-of-the-art venue that broadens accessibility and quality of CDE offered on Florida's west coast. Our participants report that they not only enjoy the high quality of CDE and of the facility, but also the proximity to the beautiful Gulf beaches.

As part of the college's effort to expand our concept of the "dental community," we are emphasizing strong collaboration among our Continuing Dental Education, Alumni Affairs and Communications units. By coordinating the efforts of these units, college resources are maximized and our reach expanded. As a result, we find we are better meeting your needs for stronger affiliations with the college, greater relationship building opportunities, and more efficient, cost-effective operations. You may have experienced this teamwork in action at the FNDC in Orlando last June.

In addition, we have strengthened our ties with both the Florida Dental Association (FDA) and the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). The best example of this is the partnership forged with the AGD for supporting and promoting the 25-month Comprehensive Dentistry Program (AGD Mastership Prep course), now entering its 25th year of providing the ultimate in relationship-driven, top-quality CDE.

Finally, to improve navigation of the CDE course catalog, we are again organizing our course listings based on the "three Ts:"

• Traditional hands-on workshops and lectures that emphasize relationships and mentoring,
• Travel--based courses that combine business with pleasure and encourage family involvement,
• Technology-based courses that fulfill state re-licensure requirements.

Also, new this year, we are adding icons to denote hands-on workshops and the courses offered at our St. Petersburg continuing dental education facility to make it easier for you to find them.

The college enjoys its role of supporting dental professionals who value the benefits of mastery of their chosen profession. Mastery leads to proficiencies, which improve delivery of dental care to patients and heighten the standing of the dental profession within the larger community. Our goal is to continually improve your CDE experience through development of partnerships with you and the dental community that will foster a lifetime of learning and personal growth.

Sincerely,

 

Teresa A. Dolan, D.D.S., M.P.H.
Professor and Dean