CDA Essentials 2018 • Volume 5 • Issue 8

21 Issue 8 | 2018 | I ssues and P eople Q: How important is it to report data on graduating students and how are the findings used within the profession? Dr. Richard Valachovic (RV): We’ve been doing the senior survey for about 50 years and the bulk of the questions have remained the same over those years; so we’re able to identify trends and what’s been happening through various generations of dental students. The result is that we’re able to provide useful information to the deans of our dental schools, as well as to residency program directors and student affairs officers about students’ perspectives on their time at school. We gather demographic data of students, their perspectives on their education, why they came into the profession in the first place and what their plans are going forward after graduation. Obviously, curriculum committees are very interested in this data. But equally as important, the organized dentistry community is also quite interested to know more about who is coming into its membership ranks. Q: The report highlights many interesting facts, including that female students outnumber male students in all ethnic groups, except among the white population. So, the feminization of the profession is being led by women fromminority groups entering dental schools in growing numbers. What impact might this trend have on the profession, and do you think dental schools are ready for this socio-cultural shift? RV: Good question. Our reports have shown this pattern occurring and it’s being led by women from under-represented minority groups in America. ADEA administers a common application service for all dental schools in the U.S. so we now have data on the class of students that will be entering dental schools in 2018. This data shows for the first time that the majority of applicants to dental school were women and that they were also not white. So, these trends are continuing. Each year, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) publishes statistical reports about the graduating classes for U.S. dental schools. Its most recent report, Snapshot of Dental Education 2017–2018 , analyzes data from the 2017 graduating class. CDA explored some of the emerging topics and trends with one of the report authors, Dr. Richard Valachovic, president and CEO of ADEA. Dr. Richard Valachovic