Why is it expected that schools have already made accomplishments in line with the Dental Pipeline program goals?
Phase I schools had five years to plan and implement their programs. Much time was required in completing tasks, including curriculum committee approval for curriculum changes that permit extramural service learning, in developing affiliation agreements with off-site clinics and practices, and gaining an understanding of the types of changes necessary at the admissions committee level to enroll a diverse class. Once these issues were well thought out, most of the schools made their major advances in the final two years of the grant. This current Phase II grant is for 27 months, only 3 months of which can be used to do final planning. Therefore, unless the school already has set diversity and off-site service learning as a demonstrated priority, there would not be sufficient time to achieve the expected outcomes. This grant is intended to provide the extra support needed for a school that has already been developing programs to move to the next plateau of program implementation.
