Marginalisation of dental students in a shared medical and dental education programme

OBJECTIVES: Internationally, there are a number of universities at which medical and dental education programmes share common elements. There are no studies about the experiences of medical and dental students enrolled in different programmes who share significant amounts of learning and teaching. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 36 students and staff in a learning programme shared between separate medical and dental faculties. They were transcribed and an iterative process of interpretation and analysis within the theoretical framework of the contact hypothesis and social identity theory was used to group data into themes and sub-themes. RESULTS: Dental students felt 'marginalised' and felt they were treated as 'second-class citizens' by medical students and medical staff in the shared aspects of their programmes. Contextual factors such as the geographical location of the two schools, a medical : dental student ratio of almost 3 : 1, along with organisational factors such as curriculum overload, propagated negative attitudes towards and professional stereotyping of the dental students. Lack of understanding by medical students and faculty of dental professional roles contributed further. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations for reducing the marginalisation of dental students in this setting include improving communication between faculties and facilitating experiential contact. This might be achieved through initiating a common orientation session, stronger social networks and integrated learning activities, such as interprofessional problem-based learning and shared clinical experiences.

Encapsulation of gold nanoparticles with PHB based on coffee ring effect

The hydrodynamic process of ring formation has been utilized to encapsulate gold nanoparticles in the matrix of PHB using an ink jet printing technique. The coffee ring phenomenon on the polymer substrate was elucidated by geometrical evaluation, mathematical formulations and FESEM images.

Photochromic fabrics with improved optical performance

 Photochromism is a fascinating phenomenon which has attracted much commercial interest for applications including sunglasses, optical devices such as memories and switches, and security printing. Photochromic textile is an exciting new application due to its implications for fashion and UV protection. This book explores the phenomenon of photochromism, its application in textiles and ways of improving the performance and durability of photochromic fabrics.