Response of the Dental Education Community to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Aug. 6, 2021: Announcement about the 2022 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition

2022 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition Moves to Philadelphia :

Due to the fluid situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, including international travel restrictions and possible strikes by border workers, the 2022 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition will take place in Philadelphia instead of Montreal, Canada.

For more information, please read the full announcement.




ADEA’s member institutions are actively responding to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in all areas
, including patient care, dental education and research. Schools and programs are working with their colleges, universities, academic health centers and state health departments to make informed decisions to ensure not only the safety of their patients, but of all members of the health and education team.


Schools and programs are assessing and following local, state and federal policies, regulations and recommendations to meet the needs at their institutions. While working locally, our leaders are thinking globally to ensure the core principles consistent with providing education and oral health care. The dental education community moves forward during this unprecedented worldwide challenge according to our underlying values and practices.


Each school or program is making its own decisions in each area, taking into account institutional locale and setting, resources and policies, as well as the aforementioned local, state and federal recommendations, guidelines and other information specific to their situations.


In concert with ADEA leadership and member institutions, following is an update on actions being taken at many institutions and at ADEA. 

 

  • Schools and programs have sent students home for a period of time with a plan to periodically reassess when students may return to campus.

  • Classroom instruction has been moved online. When necessary, gatherings of limited numbers of students are being allowed with social distancing. 

  • Preclinical simulation instruction is continuing at some institutions but is being conducted with social distancing.

  • Most schools and programs are limiting patient care only to urgent or emergency needs, with advanced dental education residents and faculty providing most of this care.

  • External rotations and travel have generally been cancelled either by the school or the facility.

  • Many licensure examination agencies are rescheduling examinations.

  • Graduation ceremonies and associated events may be delayed, cancelled or moved online in some virtual manner, depending on the timing at each institution.

 

The four ADEA Centralized Application Services (CASs) will continue to function as scheduled.

The 2020-21 ADEA CAAPID® (ADEA Centralized Application for Advanced Placement for International Dentists) application cycle is currently open and accepting applications.


The 2019-20 ADEA DHCAS® (ADEA Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service) application is open through August.


Both 2020-21 ADEA AADSAS® (ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service) and 2020-21 ADEA PASS® (ADEA Postdoctoral Application Support Service) will open as scheduled in May


Additionally, we have received assurance from Liaison International that the CASs will continue to provide uninterrupted service to all constituents, therefore we do not expect any delays in processing applications.

 

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the dental education community should be mindful of the spread of misinformation and bias that fosters the mistreatment or harassment of any persons, particularly individuals of Asian and Asian American descent. At other times in our history (e.g., outbreaks of Ebola, SARS, HIV), ADEA has advised similar calm and precautions to avoid arbitrary and unreasonable reactions to communicable diseases and stereotyping, discriminating against, and blaming any racial/ethnic or other group for their spread. Similarly, due to an increase in reports of harassment and bullying related to the spread of COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Education issued a “Letter to Education Leaders on Preventing and Addressing Potential Discrimination Associated with COVID-19.” 


As members of the oral health professions and postsecondary education community, our professional standards dictate that we provide an equitable, inclusive, welcoming and safe environment for all students, residents, fellows, faculty, staff and patients. Therefore, during this critical time, each of us should pause to reflect upon how our individual and collective actions, thoughts and words influence our communities equally impacted by this global health crisis.

 

During this critical time of uncertainty and efforts to ensure business continuity, each of us must pause to reflect on how our individual and collective actions, thoughts and words influence our communities, which are also impacted by this global health crisis. As part of this self-reflection, ensuring that resources are available to address individual and collective wellness issues, such as stress, anxiety, depression and burnout, are essential to creating healthy learning, clinical and working environments.


Disseminating campus resources to support well-being and resilience are recommended to promote self-care. Additionally, clinician well-being resources are available at the National Academy of Medicine Actional Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience and the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) Health and Wellness site.

 


ADEA Website

ADEA PANDEMIC GUIDE FOR DENTAL EDUCATION

ADEA STAFF RESPONSE TO COVID-19 FOR MEMBERS

2020 ANNUAL SESSION & EXHIBITION CANCELLATION FAQs



ADEA Connect

Schools and programs are actively sharing information via ADEA Connect online communities. All ADEA members have access to ADEA Connect.

ADEA has established a COVID-19 Response Community within ADEA Connect where faculty and administrators can share resources and information. Several other ADEA Connect communities have also been very active in sharing information.

  1. Go to ADEA Connect
  2. Sign in (upper right corner) using your ADEA website username and password. If you don't know your login credentials you can reset your password.
    • Search for all discussions tagged “COVID-19” in the ADEA Connect search field.
    • Select Communities > All Communities to view the communities to which you have access.


Public Health Resource

Directory of Local Health Departments



Helpful External Links



 

As a result of COVID-19, significant impacts on dental education will undoubtedly occur for the next decade. Our responses as dental educators and those of policy makers can certainly mitigate and reduce those impacts. We call on our regulation agencies to be flexible in this time of uncertainty. How we do business over the next year—whether it be licensure exams, graduation requirements or even competency assessments—can determine the fate of our students, constituents and patients. 


If we, as a society and learning institutions, cannot meet the needs because of rigid and intractable rules and guidelines that are not adaptable to the current environment in which we find ourselves, the outcomes will be severe. It is time for us to think outside the box regarding “how it has always been done” to determine new ways to ensure our graduates are competent, our patients receive quality dental care in a safe environment, and the high standards that have always existed at our institutions are maintained.



ADEA will update this page as we receive new information. Please check back often.