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 patrickcorning@gmail.com

Nima Mir – University of Southern California mirmoght@usc.edu