The way individual dental schools deliver the educational experience varies, as well as the opportunity to provide academic and clinical challenges to students with differing levels of ability. The underlying philosophy of the dental programme at King's is the close integration of basic and applied sciences including clinical practice. To this end students are introduced to patients in the first year. As the programme develops, students increase their clinical contact and emphasis is on management of patients' needs rather than simply acquiring clinical skills. Naturally students learn about human disease as well as oral disease.
Teaching is delivered by a range of methods from lectures to computer-assisted learning.
Students are expected to behave in a professional manner from early in the programme as they are given considerable responsibility for patient care. This is all part of the preparation for entering general dental practice. A feature of the new curriculum is the option to study some subjects in greater depth in the final year. You should have further opportunity to extend your knowledge during the elective period, which allows students the opportunity to travel overseas or find new challenges closer to home. Many students going on electives receive financial support from endowment funds left to the Dental Institute.