Our work is supported by a range of committees and working groups including dental education, admissions, research, assessment and operations.
Each committee brings together experts from member schools to address shared challenges and promote best practice. The committees and working groups feed into DSC Council, either directly or through an intermediate committee.
The respective school leads are all invited to each relevant group, for example the Heads of Education are invited to the Education Committee.
The Education Committee supports curriculum development, considers developments in dental education and helps schools liaise on regulatory requirements, including General Dental Council standards.
The Admissions Committee promotes fair and transparent admissions processes across dental schools. It also supports widening participation by identifying and addressing barriers faced by underrepresented groups and buying and monitoring admissions data. The Committee liaises with the dental sector on their needs for the future workforce and publishes free to access guidance on the studying healthcare website.
The Research Committee aims to strengthen oral health research by articulating the relevance of oral health research to medical breakthroughs, understanding and influencing funding structures, championing clinical and non-clinical academics and encouraging undergraduate engagement in research.
The Assessment Alliance provides a forum for dental schools to share expertise and best practice in assessment. It supports the development and use of robust, reliable assessment methods, including OCSE exams. Members share best practice including in response to new regulatory requirements such as monitoring and tackling differential attainment.
The Senior Officers Group brings together dental school business managers and operations leads to share expertise and address common challenges. Its scope includes jointly navigating new structures and requirements within universities and NHS, staffing matters and other issues pertaining to the effective management of dental schools.
