From very early in the programme, students will meet patients and start to study aspects of clinical dentistry. In the first year, dental students work in groups to plan their own learning in relation to descriptions of clinical cases. Manchester was the first dental school in the UK to introduce this problem-based approach to teaching and learning in dentistry. We feel that this approach is suited to modern dentistry in that a dentist is often confronted with a problem or situation for which there may be several alternative solutions. A successful dentist must have the ability to analyse and apply principles so the correct solution for that patient at that time is selected.
Many students undertake their research topics abroad.
The integration of non-clinical and clinical sides of the programme means that the relationship of science subjects to the treatment of patients and disease elimination is immediately apparent to students. This philosophy allows for the rapid transfer of relevant research findings to the clinics. The University Dental Hospital is justly proud of its reputation as an international centre of excellence in research. Among the dental undergraduate institutions Manchester attained a rating of 5 in the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise. All students undertake a non-clinical research elective in their final year.