The University of Plymouth Peninsula Dental School has become the first dental school in the UK to gain Surgical Education Centre accreditation from the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS).
The RCS provides a quality mark for surgical education and, having achieved centre accreditation, the mark applies to all of the dental school’s educational programmes.
The RCS visiting review team reported that they ‘were impressed with the collegiate culture and singularity of purpose’ at the School and its ‘genuine sense of helping to serve the South West’.
They added that there were ‘clear lessons from Peninsula’s model which could be used in other regions’.
Professor Michael Escudier, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the RCS, presented a plaque to commemorate the award at RCS headquarters in London.
The process saw the RCS visit and review all of the School’s activity, including facilities; resources and faculty; the education portfolio; and the infrastructure and quality management processes which underpin the delivery of the centre's educational products.
RCS centre accreditation is only awarded where there is a clear demonstration of, and a broad confidence in, the quality of each of these components.
Professor Michael Escudier, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the RCS, said:
“We have accredited a number of leading surgical training centres both here in the UK and across the world. The centre accreditation is awarded to institutions committed to excellence in training. Peninsula Dental School is the first dental school to be accredited with the RCS flagship accreditation. We look forward to working with them to support high quality education and training for future generations of dental professionals.”
Professor Christopher Tredwin, Head of Peninsula Dental School, said:
“We are really proud of what we’ve got here at Peninsula, and to be the first dental school in the country to achieve the centre accreditation is testament to the hard work of all of our staff, students and partners.”
Tim O’Brien, Clinical Associate Professor in Restorative Dentistry at Peninsula Dental School, added:
“The Royal College of Surgeons is recognised internationally as a gatekeeper of quality, and we are delighted that they have commended our unique approach to high quality patient-centred care, delivered in a supportive and research-rich environment.
“As well as delivering undergraduate programmes in dental surgery and dental therapy and hygiene, we welcome existing dental professionals onto our postgraduate courses in restorative dentistry, periodontology and minor oral surgery. Having evidence of RCS accreditation on a student’s certificate underlines the quality of the teaching and clinical experience they receive – further enabling them to have a hugely rewarding career as a dental professional.”
