Technical Non-Academic Standards

Introduction
Dentistry is the art and science of maintaining the health of the teeth and surrounding oral structures. It involves the physical evaluation of patients, prevention of oral and dental diseases, the diagnosis of dental diseases and conditions, and determining and delivering appropriate therapy. The UCLA School of Dentistry intends for its graduates to become competent and compassionate dentists who are capable of passing licensing exams and obtaining and maintaining state dental licensure. Thus, all students are expected to achieve competence in the full curriculum required by the faculty. Essential abilities and characteristics required for completion of the DDS degree consist of certain minimum physical, cognitive, mental, and emotional abilities to assure that candidates for admission, promotion, and graduation can participate fully in all aspects of dental training with or without reasonable accommodation.

Reasonable Accommodation
The UCLA School of Dentistry is committed to providing reasonable accommodations that ensure students with disabilities have equal access to all aspects of the curriculum. We encourage students to engage in a private, collaborative, and individualized process with the UCLA Center for Accessible Education (CAE) to discuss and determine appropriate accommodations. The technical standards are not intended to deter any candidate for whom reasonable accommodation will allow the fulfillment of the complete curriculum. Accommodations cannot be applied retroactively to past assessments or experiences; however, we are committed to working with students who self-identify if they have a disability-related need for accommodations. We aim to implement approved accommodations as early as possible to support ongoing student academic and clinical success.

The School of Dentistry has an ethical and professional responsibility for the safety of patients with whom students and graduates will come in contact. Although students learn and work under the supervision of the faculty, students interact with patients throughout their dental school education. As such, patient safety and well-being are major determinants for establishing technical, non-academic standards. Given the clinical nature of our programs, time may be needed to create and implement the accommodations, and accommodations must still safely support the delivery of patient care. That an individual student may intend to practice only a narrow aspect of clinical dentistry, or to pursue a non-clinical career, does not alter the requirement that all dental students must completed and demonstrate competence in the entire curriculum.

Technical Standards
The essential abilities and characteristics described herein are also referred to as technical (or non-academic) standards. They are described below in several broad categories including observation; communication; motor; intellectual, conceptual, integral, integrative, and quantitative abilities; and social and behavioral skills.

Delineation of technical standards is required for the accreditation of U.S. dental schools by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

The following abilities and characteristics are defined as technical standards, which in conjunction with academic standards established by the faculty, are requirements for admission, promotion, and graduation and may be met with or without reasonable accommodations.

1) Observation

Candidates must be able to obtain information from demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences and participate in experiments of science, including but not limited to such things as dissection of cadavers; examination of specimens in anatomy, pathology, and neuroanatomy laboratories; and microscopic study of microorganisms and tissues in normal and pathologic states. Candidates should be able to assess patients, obtain findings, and evaluate findings accurately.

2) Communication

Candidates must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with patients, their families, and members of the health care team. They must be able to obtain a medical history in a timely fashion, interpret all aspects of communication, including non-verbal, and establish therapeutic relationships with patients. Candidates must be able to record information accurately and clearly; and communicate effectively with other health care professionals in a variety of patient settings.

3) Motor Function

Candidates must possess the capacity perform physical examinations and perform procedures requiring the use of motor skills. They should be able to execute both gross and fine motor skill movements required to respond to clinical situations in a timely manner and provide general dental care to patients and provide or direct the provision of emergency treatment of patients. 

4) Intellectual, Conceptual, Integral, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities

Candidates must have the ability to synthesize the detailed and complex information presented in the dental school curriculum. They must be able to learn through a variety of modalities including, but not limited to, classroom instruction; small group, team, and collaborative activities; individual study; preparation and presentation of reports; and use of computer and information technology. Candidates must be able to memorize, measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, and transmit information by multiple methods. They must recognize and draw conclusions about three-dimensional spatial relationships and logical sequential relationships among events. They must be able to formulate and test hypotheses that enable effective and timely problem-solving in diagnosis and treatment of patients in a variety of clinical settings.

5) Behavioral and Social Attributes

Candidates should possess the emotional regulation required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of effective relationships with patients, family members, fellow students, faculty, and staff. They must understand the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of dentistry and function within both the law and ethical standards of the dental profession. They must adhere to universal precaution measures and meet safety standards applicable to inpatient and outpatient settings and other clinical activities. They should be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. Candidates must be able to contribute to collaborative, constructive learning environments; accept constructive feedback from others; and take personal responsibility for making appropriate positive changes. Candidates should possess the capacity to engage in help-seeking behaviors in light of elevated responsibility and uncertainty. Compassion, integrity, self-awareness, concern for others, interpersonal skills, professionalism, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that are expected during the education processes.

6) Ethical and Legal Standards

Required Disclosures of Arrest, Charge, or Conviction

Candidates and current students must meet the legal standards to be licensed to practice dentistry in the State of California as well as the standards of the UCLA School of Dentistry. As a California public institution, our mission is to educate the dental workforce for the State of California, understanding students may choose to practice in other locations. As such, candidates for admission must acknowledge and provide written explanation of any felony or misdemeanor offense(s) action taken against them prior to admission at the School of Dentistry. In addition, after acceptance, students must immediately notify the Assistant Dean of Students of any arrest, charge, or conviction occurring thereafter. Felony conviction or failure to disclose prior or new offenses can lead to disciplinary action by the school that may include dismissal.