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Australian Dental Council
MAJOR ACTIVITIES OF THE AUSTRALIAN DENTAL COUNCIL
Accreditation of Programs in Dentistry,
Dental Hygiene, Dental Therapy and Oral Health Therapy
Accreditation is the status granted by the ADC to dental and oral health
education programs offered by Australian Dental Schools. Using a peer
review process, expert Accreditation Review Teams appointed by the ADC
assess dental and oral health education programs against explicit standards
set by the ADC. Programs that meet ADC standards are granted accreditation.
The purpose of accreditation is both to assure the quality of educational
programs and to promote improvements in quality.
Accreditation standards for general dentistry programs are here.
Accreditation standards for dental specialty programs are here.
Accreditation standards for dental hygienist, dental therapist and oral health therapist programs are here.
The Australian Dental Council (ADC) and the Dental Council of New Zealand
(DCNZ) have chosen accreditation as the preferred means of providing quality
assurance of the phases of dental and oral health education and training
offered by Dental Schools in Australia and New Zealand. While the ADC
and the DCNZ retain jurisdictional authority for accreditation of programs
in their respective countries they have adopted a joint Australasian accreditation
process. The Councils have established a joint ADC/DCNZ Accreditation
Committee for this purpose. The role of the Accreditation Committee is
to advise the ADC and DCNZ on accreditation matters, including criteria
for the accreditation of educational programs leading to registration
as a dentist, dental specialist, dental hygienist, dental therapist or
oral health therapist, and to assess programs using these criteria.
The Accreditation Committee is assisted in its review of programs by
Accreditation Review Teams whose members are selected by the Committee
and appointed by the respective Councils. Teams comprise a balance of
members from dentistry and related oral health disciplines, and a lay
member. These Teams:
• review documentation submitted by the program on the curriculum,
facilities and resources that support the curriculum
• conduct an on-site visit, meeting with relevant personnel and
visiting School facilities and teaching hospitals/clinics
• consult with relevant stakeholders
• prepare a detailed report (after presenting their preliminary
findings to the School which can comment on the draft report).
The ADC/DCNZ Accreditation Committee scrutinises the Team’s report
to ensure that it is balanced and that the conclusions drawn by the Team
are sound. The ADC Board or DCNZ Council, as appropriate, makes the final
decision on accreditation of the program based on the report and recommendation
by the Accreditation Committee. A graduate of a program accredited by
the ADC is eligible for registration to practise in their discipline in
any state or territory of Australia. By assessing a program, the ADC can
assure the state and territory dental registration boards that the school's
educational program satisfies ADC guidelines for dental or oral health
education.
The following accreditation options are available to the ADC for established programs:
| Accreditation |
This accreditation status indicates that the program achieves or exceeds the minimum standards for accreditation, and has no serious deficiencies or weaknesses. Recommendations or suggestions relating to enhancement of the program are generally included in the Accreditation Report. Retention of this accreditation status remains subject to receiving satisfactory annual reports which include progress on recommendations and suggestions in the Accreditation Report.
Period of accreditation: 7 years for dentistry programs; 5 years for specialist dentistry programs; 5 years for oral health programs. |
| Accreditation with Conditions |
This accreditation status indicates that the program substantially meets the standards for accreditation but the program has serious deficiencies or weaknesses in one or more areas. The deficiencies or weaknesses are considered to be of such a nature that they can be corrected within a specified reasonable period of time. An education provider whose program receives the status of Accreditation with Conditions must provide a progress report as specified in the Accreditation Report and at least annually. Evidence of progress must be demonstrated in order to maintain accreditation of the program, as detailed below:
(1) Period of accreditation: maximum period of 2 years
specific deficiencies or weaknesses exist in one or more basic areas of the program. The deficiencies or weaknesses are considered to be of such a nature that they can be corrected within a specified reasonable period of time, which ordinarily does not exceed two years.
(2) Period of accreditation: maximum period of 1 year
serious deficiencies or weaknesses in one or more specific areas of the program. The deficiencies or weaknesses are considered to be of such magnitude that, if not corrected, the program will be on the pathway to refusal of accreditation. Evidence of significant progress in order to maintain accreditation of the program must be demonstrated within one year.
If the serious deficiencies or weaknesses as per (1) and (2) above are not addressed within the specified period of time:
(3) Period of accreditation: notice of intent to refuse accreditation
A program with serious deficiencies or weaknesses has failed to submit a required progress report to address the conditions on its accreditation, or the report was considered unsatisfactory. The ADC/DCNZ will inform the education provider of the intent to refuse accreditation at the end of the next academic year for the program.
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| Refusal of Accreditation |
Accreditation may be refused where the ADC/DCNZ considers that the deficiencies in a program are so serious as to warrant that action or where the education provider has not satisfied the ADC/DCNZ that the complete program can be implemented and delivered at a level consistent with ADC/DCNZ Accreditation Standards. |
The options for accreditation of new programs or programs that have undergone major structural change are as follows:
| Accreditation with Conditions |
Accreditation as a new program (or program undergoing major change) is granted with conditions for a period up to two years after the full program has been implemented, subject to conditions being addressed within a specific period and depending on satisfactory reports (either annual or as otherwise specified). Conditions may relate to the progressive implementation of the new program (or major change) and the provision of adequate staffing and facilities to support the developing program |
| Refusal of Accreditation |
If it is considered that a proposed program has serious deficiencies, then Accreditation may be refused.
In instances where deficiencies are identified which the Accreditation Committee considers must be addressed before the program begins, the Committee will recommend that accreditation be refused. The ADC/DCNZ will advise the applicant education provider on the deficiencies to be addressed before the ADC/DCNZ will reconsider accreditation.
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Click here for a list of currently accredited programs.
The Assessment of Overseas
Dental Qualifications
The Australian Dental Council has been authorised by the Australian Department
of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) as the assessing authority for overseas
trained dentists who intend to migrate to Australia under Australia's
General Skilled Migration program. This assessment is undertaken through
the examination process described below.
More information about the Australian Government's Skilled Migration
program CLICK
HERE
Aims and Objectives of the ADC Examination
The ADC examination is a screening examination to establish
that dentists trained in dental schools which have not been formally
reviewed and accredited by the ADC, other than graduates of NZ,
UK and the Republic of Ireland dental schools, have the necessary
knowledge and clinical competence to practise dentistry with
safety in the Australian community.
Format, Timing and Venues of the ADC Examinations
The ADC examination procedures have been developed specifically
to assess the qualifications of overseas trained dentists.
The examination procedure comprises three parts:
· An Occupational English Test (OET) administered by the OET Centre. The ADC requires candidates to achieve a result at "A" or "B" level in all four sub-tests [Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking] in one sitting.
The OET is administered 10 times a year in up to 40 cities worldwide. For information and to register online visit www.occupationalenglishtest.org
· A Preliminary Examination
- Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) and Short Answer Questions (SAQ), administered
over two consecutive days. Examinations are conducted twice each year,
in March and September . Unlimited attempts at this examination are permitted,
but a new fee must be paid for each attempt. A pass is valid for a period
of three years.
It is designed to test knowledge of the science and practice
of dentistry and of clinical and technical procedures as they
are practised in Australia.
· A Final (clinical) Examination,
the general objective of which is to evaluate the clinical competence
of the candidate in terms of dental knowledge, clinical skills
and professional attitudes for the safe and effective clinical
practice of dentistry in the Australian community.
The clinical examination can be taken only in Australia, and
is held over six days. It includes three blocks:
- Operative Dentistry and Paedodontics;
- Periodontics and Removable Prosthodontics
- Oral Surgery, Oral Diagnosis and Radiology
Aspects of all clinical disciplines such as Orthodontics,
Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Pharmacology are also included
where appropriate (practical and / or theoretical and / or Vive
Voce). Candidates are examined at the same level as that reached
by graduates from Australian universities.
Clinical examinations are conducted at least twice each year, in July
and November. Unlimited attempts at the examinations are permitted, but
a new fee must be paid for each attempt. If a supplementary examination
is granted, a separate fee is payable for this examination. The final
examination must be undertaken within three years of passing the Preliminary
Examination.
These examinations (OET, Preliminary and Final) must be taken
sequentially. Each fee for the OET, ADC Preliminary and ADC Final
Examination allows only one attempt at the examination. Withdrawal
from any examination may result in a cancellation fee being charged.
The range of topics covered in the ADC examination is based
on the clinical curricula of Australian dental schools with an
emphasis on common conditions in the Australian community. The
patients used in the clinical examinations are drawn from a similar
pool of patients to those used to assess final year dental students.
The ADC has appointed a Committee of Examiners with broad
expertise over the full range of disciplines covered in the ADC
and dental school examinations to ensure that the format and
content of the ADC examinations are consistent with the undergraduate
dental courses and the standard of examinations in Australian
dental schools.
Examination Initiatives
The ADC has adopted several initiatives that aim to improve confidence in the fairness of the examination, while ensuring that appropriate standards are maintained. These initiatives include:
· Verification of Results
Candidates who fail an examination may request the ADC to undertake a manual review to verify the accuracy of the result notified to them for each of the sections and for the overall grade, ie a manual check to ensure that the results and grade notified to them are correct and in accord with the decision of the examiners. Candidates must apply to the ADC within 28 days of the date of the letter notifying them of their results. Candidates must complete the relevant application form (obtainable by contacting the ADC) and make payment of the application fee.
· Appeal Procedures
Candidates who fail the Final Examination may submit an appeal to the ADC only if they believe that the procedural requirements (as specified in the current ADC Information Handbook for Dentistry Candidates and in formal communications with the ADC Secretariat and in the instructions for specific examination sessions) were not followed in a significant way or to a significant extent, or if their performance was impaired by significant deficiencies in the examination procedures beyond their control. Contact the ADC Office to be sent a copy of the appeals guidelines. Appeals must be lodged within 28 days of notification of the results of the examination. A fee applies for appeals.
· Supplementary Examinations
may be granted where a candidate has a marginal fail grade.
· Clinical Examination
The ADC constantly reviews the conduct of the examinations and seeks ways
in which to minimise delays experienced by candidates. Currently these
examinations are conducted in numerous centres around Australia.
Recognition of Overseas Trained
Specialists
There are significant differences in the format and content of primary dental training throughout the world, reflecting local dental health care patterns and priorities. In the case of specialist dental practice these differences between systems of training are even more pronounced.
Approval for specialist dental practice in Australia is the province of the Dental Boards, who may seek the advice of the ADC.
Uniformity Matters
The Dental Boards are the designated legal authorities under the relevant legislation to administer registration.
The ADC provides advice to the Dental Boards in order to encourage uniform approaches to the registration of dental practitioners.
Mutual Recognition between
States
Under the Mutual Recognition Act 1992, subject to certain conditions,
if a person is registered to practise an occupation in one State
or Territory they can carry out an equivalent occupation in any
other State or Territory.
ADC Certificate
Upon successful completion of the OET, Preliminary and Final Examinations, the candidate is eligible to receive a Certificate issued by the ADC. This Certificate is proof of having passed the Council's total assessment and examination requirements and is sent to the successful candidate. The ADC Certificate in Dentistry is accepted as establishing eligibility for registration in all States and Territories in Australia. Upon receiving the ADC Certificate, candidates may apply for registration to one of the Australian Dental Boards.
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