Calibration, Calibration, Calibration! Is there really such a thing? I feel that this is the most difficult aspect of clinical teaching. I know in our clinic there are some instructors who no matter how great we think we have done removing calculus, they always make you go back over something; when you know other instructors would agree that you did a great job. I found it interesting in one of the articles they thought part time instructors worked too fast. I actually feel that it’s an advantage to the students to have someone with the private practice experience to keep you on your toes and to learn to become time efficient. I understand that in a school environment we need to learn the proper techniques and it takes time, however with experience come quickness, not necessarily sloppiness. No two patients have the same degree of calculus which makes calibration hard to achieve in my eyes.
An aspect of calibration that I never thought about was the faculty assessments at the end of the semester. This can have its benefits as long as there are uniform complaints from the students about calibration. This is the perfect time between semesters, to work on faculty calibration, or to work with a specific faculty member about their technique.
The other article I found interesting how they taught one group to detect calculus by following a specific sequence. This article pointed out how calibrating a group of hygienist is difficult. There wasn’t much difference between the control and the experimental group. I do believe that instructor appear to be more calibrated when they follow the same sequence as what we were taught when learning to explore. Whether this is true or not, I know that I feel better about my technique when I see them using the same sequence and not bouncing around the mouth.
I, too, believe that it is an advantage for students to work with “new and fast” faculty members. Not only does this motivate students, it also helps to prepare them for private practice.
I think that senior students view “new and fast” differently than junior students also. You also bring up the issue of perception of calibration. If all faculty explore in the same sequence it seems that we are all on the same page, but I’m not sure that that necessarily means we are all feeling the same thing and grading students the same way.
Great point , I think we both agree that no matter how good a job you do some instructors will always make you go back over your work especially on calculus removal, while other are much easier and that is why calibration is so difficult and necessary at the same time in clinical hygiene so every faculty is on the same page.