b'STATE OF PERIO EDUCATIONPerspectives on EducationPerspectives from the AAPs Educational Consultant and Continued from page 7 Chair of the Education Committee The Academy has placed a high priority on enhancing the quality of years, explained that the primary aim of CODA is to maintaindental education on both predoctoral and postdoctoral levels. To get and improve the quality of advanced dental education programs.a glimpse of the early progress being made against this ambitious The U.S. Department of Education requires that all universitygoal, Periospectives spoke to two leaders who are heavily involved programs fall under an accreditation umbrella, therefore CODAin some of the Academys highest profile initiatives: Dr. Nico Geurs, accredits dental programs within dental schools, rather than theChair of the Department of Periodontics at University of Alabama at schools themselves. As CODAs Commissioner for PostdoctoralBirmingham and Education Consultant to the Academys Education Advanced Education in Periodontics Programs, Dr. Katancik chairsCommittee, and Dr. Ramzi Abou-Arraj, Associate Professor University the Review Committee on Periodontal Education that monitors allof Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and Chair of the postdoctoral advanced periodontal education programs. WhileAcademys Education Committee.he was nominated for that position by the Academy, CODA All of us involved in dental education want to teach our students in rather than the AAPhas final approval of the commissioner,the best ways possible, and the pandemic showed us new ways we who serves a six-year term. Its important to the integrity ofcan share our expertise, said Dr. Geurs. The pandemic changed CODA that as commissioner I leave my AAP hat at the door. Imthe delivery of education, and the members of the Education to represent the periodontal community as a whole, not just theCommittee started to ask how we could help each other deal with Academy, he said. And its the same for other specialties. these new challenges we were all facing. We quickly found that video CODAs standards for postdoctoral advanced education inconferences were a great way for us to collaborate. periodontics are quite comprehensive and undergo a validity andOne such area, according to Dr. Abou-Arraj, related to the fact reliability study every six years. In fact, the latest review of thethat many predoctoral periodontics programs lack the in-house standards was initiated in the summer/fall of 2019.expertise to effectively teach one or more niche topics. The Before being named commissioner, Dr. Katancik served as aEducation Committee came up with a list of topics for which the site visitor for CODA. Site visitors are tasked with physicallypredoctoral programs might be most lacking in in-house expertise visiting postdoctoral periodontal programs to meet with programand emailed them to program directors for their feedback. Based directors, faculty members and students and verify the accuracyon their responses, four topics were identified as being particularly of the programs self-reported assessment of its compliance within need of support: pharmacology, nutrition, genetics, and bone CODA standards. A comprehensive site visit report is submittedbiology.The Education Committee then determined that it would be to the Review Committee on Periodontal Education and usedvery beneficial if all programs had access to a module for each of to determine whether the programs accreditation should bethese four topics. The idea is that each module would provide a big extended for another seven years, or if one or more standardspart of the teaching for that topic, so that each program would need are not being met and require remedial actions. Once the reviewonly to provide the interpretation of that teaching locally, said Dr. committee has determined that all accreditation standards haveGeurs. Were expecting that if the response is good to the modules been met, it submits its recommendation to CODA for approval. for these first four topics, we can eventually expand this approach to create additional modules that can be built into the periodontics When asked about the biggest changes hes seen in his 20-pluscurricula that exist at the various pre-doctoral dental programs.years in periodontal education, Dr. Katancik immediately cited his belief that dental implantology is now as important a partAccording to Dr. Abou-Arraj, the situation is somewhat different of his profession as is treating periodontitis. Looking towardfor postdoctoral programs. There, he said, in-house periodontal the future, Dr. Katancik is optimistic about the future of bothexpertise is readily available, so the opportunity is to create modules periodontics and postdoctoral periodontal education. I knowfor special topics rather than for more traditional topics. Based on that some periodontists may feel that everyone is becoming anfeedback from the program directors, the first three new topics for implantologist and fear for what that means for our profession,postdoctoral modules are treating patients with disabilities, which is but I feel our profession is the leader in implantology, he said.a new accreditation standard that every postdoctoral periodontics What we do is very difficult, and were very good at it. And I thinkprogram must address; oral pathology/oral medicine; and practice there will always be a need for clinicians who truly excel at notmanagement. only treating periodontitis but handling even the most challengingEach of the predoctoral and postdoctoral modules is being designed implant cases.by a separate work group comprising several program directors led by a member of the Education Committee. The modules will employ AAP Periospectives| 8'