Dentistry Degree (2nd Edition)

• Admission profile

  For admission to the degree, a personal profile that includes a vocation for service in healthcare activities is considered appropriate. Likewise, it is highly recommended that the applicant has manual skills, given that the dental profession requires it, as well as important knowledge of health sciences subjects and the English language.

• Minimum number of ECTS enrollment credits per student and school period

  For admission to the degree, a personal profile that includes a vocation for service in healthcare activities is considered appropriate. Likewise, it is highly recommended that the applicant has manual skills, given that the dental profession requires it, as well as important knowledge of health sciences subjects and the English language.

• Tutorial action and reception

  La Facultad pondrá a disposición de los estudiantes dos procedimientos de orientación y apoyo:
  Jornada de Información General: Al comienzo de cada curso académico, los estudiantes de nuevo ingreso tienen una jornada de bienvenida, organizada por el Decanato, donde participan los miembros del equipo decanal, el director del Departamento de Estomatología, una representación de los profesores, el personal administrativo, los alumnos delegados de segundo curso y las asociaciones de estudiantes. En dicha jornada se realiza una presentación en la que se informa a los nuevos estudiantes del funcionamiento y la estructura organizativa de la Facultad, así como de los servicios que el centro pone a su disposición. Igualmente se les informa de los programas de la Universidad de Santiago y de la Facultad donde se puede encontrar todo lo necesario sobre los servicios universitarios, biblioteca, laboratorios, clínicas, etc. Se hace especial mención a las facilidades que la USC y el Centro poseen para alumnos con discapacidad.
  Plan de Tutorías: cuyo objetivo es orientar al estudiante para que desarrolle al máximo todas sus potencialidades aprovechando de la mejor manera posible los recursos que el centro le ofrece.
  Respecto a la atención a cuestiones derivadas de la existencia de necesidades educativas especiales, se lleva a cabo, para cada caso, en colaboración con el servicio de Participación e Integración Universitaria:
  

• Title suspension rules

  When a degree suspension occurs, the USC guarantees the adequate development of teachings that were initiated by their students until its suspension. For that, the Government Council approves the criteria related with the admission of new degree entry registration and the gradual suspension of teaching impartation, among others.
  If the suspended degree is substituted for a similar one —modifying the nature of the degree—, the new degree regulations will set the conditions to facilitate students the continuity of the new degree’s studies. These regulations will also set subject equivalences in both programs.

• Access and admission rules

  The entrance tests to the three Galician universities (Baccalaureate Evaluation for access to the University (ABAU) and for people over 25 and 45 years old) are organized by the Interuniversity Commission of Galicia (CIUG). To apply for a place, students must meet one of the following access requirements established in article 3 of RD 412/2014:
  • Have a high school diploma or equivalent and pass the university entrance test.
  • Meet the requirements for access to university in the educational systems of Member States of the European Union or other States with which Spain has signed international agreements on this matter.
  • Have passed the university entrance test for those over 25 years of age, for those over 40 years of age with work or professional experience or the test for those over 45 years of age.
  • Possess a degree in higher vocational training, teaching of plastic arts and design or higher sports technician, or equivalent qualifications.
  • Have an official university degree, m

The Graduate Degree in Dentistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela aims to train professionals with appropriate knowledge, skills, attitudes and competences, who are qualified to serve society by satisfying its dental health demands, both in the facet of prevention, as well as diagnosis and treatment, in an ethical way and with efficiency and safety.
These professionals must appreciate the need for professional development and continuing education throughout life, be able to efficiently use advances in knowledge and technology and understand the central role of the patient in making therapeutic decisions.
In order to fulfil this fundamental objective, the study plan for odontology must:
⦁ Ensure that the students acquire the necessary knowledge and clinical competence to be able to carry out general dental practices autonomously, without supervision, once graduated. At the same time, students must be aware of their limitations and ask for advice or refer to other professionals when they come across situations above their skills.
⦁ Promote the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and professional behaviour that facilitate an effective and appropriate interaction with patients, peers or other healthcare professionals.
⦁ Encourage recognition and acceptance of the obligation to practise in the best interests of patients at all times and in accordance with current health legislation.
⦁ Promote critical analysis of science, the capacity for innovation and scientific dissemination.
⦁ Stimulate the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes that promote lifelong learning in an effective way, stimulating the commitment to autonomous learning as a tool for development and professional responsibility.
These objectives of the degree, as well as the competences catalogue, are described within the ministerial order CIN/2136/2008, of July 3, and also coincide with those defined for the title of Dentist by European regulations and with those included within the White Paper and in the Law on the Regulation of Sanitary Professions (44/2003LOPS) in its Article 6, 2c).

• Competencies

  1. Know the essential elements to the profession of dentist, including the ethical principles and legal responsibilities.
  2. Understand the relevance of such principles for the benefit of the patient, society and profession, with special attention to professional secrecy.
  3. Know how to identify the worries and expectations of the patient, as well as effectively and clearly communicating, both in an oral and written manner, with patients, relatives and media and other professionals.
  4. Understand and recognise the social and psychological aspects relevant to the treatment of patients.
  5. Know how to apply the anxiety and stress control principles on oneself, patients and other members of the dental team.
  6. Understand the relevance of carrying out a professional practice with respect to the autonomy of the patient, their beliefs and culture.
  7. Promote autonomous learning regarding new knowledge and techniques, as well as motivation for quality.
  8. Know how to share information with other healthcare professionals and work in teams.
  9. Understand the relevance of maintaining and employing record with information on the patient for their subsequent analysis, ensuring the confidentiality of the data.
  10. Know and identify the psychological and physical problems consequence of gender violence to train students on the prevention, early detection, care and rehabilitation of the victims of this type of violence.
  11. Understand the basic bio-medical sciences in which odontology is based to ensure appropriate buco-dental care.
  12. Understand and recognise the normal structure and function of the stomatognathic apparatus, on a molecular, cellular, tissue and organic level, along the different stages of life.
  13. Understand and recognise the sciences of essential biomaterials for the dental practice, as well as the immediate handling of possible allergies to these.
  14. Know the general processes of disease, among which infection, swelling, immune system alterations, degeneration, malignancy, metabolic alterations and genetic disorders, can be included.
  15. Be familiarised with the general pathological characteristics of diseases and disorders that have an impact on organic systems, specifically, those with buccal repercussions.
  16. Understand the action fundamentals, indications and efficacy of drugs and other therapeutic interventions, knowing the contraindications, interactions, systemic effects and interactions over other organs, on the basis of the available scientific evidence.
  17. Understand and recognise the ergonomics and safety principles at the workplace (including cross-infection control, X-ray protection and occupational and biologic diseases).
  18. Know, critically assess and know how to use the clinical and biomedical information sources in order to gather, organise, interpret and communicate science and health information.
  19. Know the scientific method and have the critical ability to assess the established knowledge and new information. Be able to formulate hypothesis, critically gather and assess information in order to solve problems, following the scientific method.

• Abilities and skills

  20. Gather and create a clinical history/record containing all the relevant information.
  21. Know how to carry a complete buccal exam, including the necessary x-rays and optional exploratory tests, as well as the obtaining of proper clinical references.
  22. Have the ability to draw an initial diagnosis and establish a reasoned diagnostic strategy, being skilled on the assessment of the situations requiring urgent dental care.
  23. Establish a diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutical plan in every clinical area pertaining to Odontology, being skilled on the diagnosis, prognosis and elaboration of a dental treatment plan for the patient requiring special care, including medically compromised patients (such as diabetics, hypertensives, immunosuppressed, anticoagulated, among others) and patients with disabilities.
  24. Identify life risk situations and be able to perform basic life support manoeuvres.
  25. Know and apply the basic treatment of the most frequent Bucco-dental pathology in patients of all ages. The therapeutical procedures must be based on the concept of minimum invasion and from a global and integrated perspective of the Bucco-dental treatment.
  26. Know how to plan and carry out multidisciplinary, sequential and integrated dental treatments of limited complexity in patients of all ages and conditions, and patients requiring special care.
  27. Pose and propose the appropriate preventive measures for every clinical situation.
  28. Acquire clinical experience under the appropriate supervision.

• Knowledge

  29. Identify the determinants of buccal health within the population, including genetic, lifestyle, demographic, environmental, social, economic, psychologic and cultural determinants.
  30. Recognise the role of the dentist in the preventive and protection actions within buccal diseases, as well as the preservation and promotion of health, both on an individual and community level.
  31. Know the National Health System, including the basic aspects of health policies, clinical management and appropriate use of health resources, understanding the relevance of the role of the dentist within the Primary Care health area.

Mobility

Student mobility is regulated through the “Regulation of inter-university exchange.” Exchange programmes are managed through the International Relations Office, such as national exchange programmes (SICUE) as well as Europeans (ERASMUS) and from outside the European Union (exchanges with Latin American countries or English-speaking countries):
https://www.usc.gal/gl/servizos/area/internacional
In the Dentistry Degree student mobility will take place from the second year of the degree, in semestral or annual periods. The selection of candidates is carried out, in every call or programme, by a Selection Committee, according to the grading criteria, previously established, taking into account the academic record, a report, and the pertaining language competences required by the host university.

Internships

Clinical practices during non-school periods may be carried out in national or international health institutions recognized by the Centre’s Quality Commission and/or by the Centre’s Quality Manager. The part-time activity for one month will imply the recognition of 3 ECTS, provided that it has been reliably justified to have achieved the previously established competencies, and several of these internship periods may be carried out.
No specific training itineraries have been planned. The aim is to promote both horizontal and vertical integration, encouraging basic and medical subjects to be relevant to the training of the general dentist/dentist.

• Graduates profile

  The graduate profile is aimed at a professional who works in the field of dental health for the care and attention of patients, the determination of community action programmes and policies both at the level of prevention and treatments. The graduate profile is based on the training of a professional who has the knowledge for dental practice, both from the medical dimension, preclinical skills and abilities, and clinical practice competences. A professional able of integrating new paradigms of dental care for patients and new technologies in this professional field.

• Professional outlets

  At the end of the Degree, graduates can follow three paths that may be compatible:
  - The professional: after registration, they can work at the level of clinical practice in public centres of the health network (primary care centres, hospital centres with stomatology or dentistry services) or in private clinics and centres (own or not) and salaried
  - Academic: working as teachers in universities or educational centres in which training cycles linked to the degree or continuing specialized training in the field of dentistry are taught.
  - Research: linked to research groups at universities or research centres, as well as in R&D departments of companies related to the provision of dental services, products and tools (pharmaceutical sector, implantology, medical imaging, etc.).
  Safeguarding the singularities of the rules and regulations of professional practice in each country, these three routes can be feasible in both a national and international context.

The final dissertation will be organised as a transversal subject associated with the different subjects of the degree in which the competences achieved by the student can be evaluated. The requirements, development, and management mechanisms of the TFG are included in the Regulations for the Final Degree Project in Dentistry:
https://www.usc.gal/gl/centro/facultade-medicina-odontoloxia/tfg