Title: Remdesivir (RDV): Experimental Antiviral for Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Category: Medications
Created: 3/26/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Tramadol vs. Codeine
Category: Medications
Created: 5/3/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 12/20/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: Lasix Side Effects, Warnings, and Drug Interactions
Category: Medications
Created: 3/4/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/4/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Sublocade (buprenorphine extended release)
Category: Medications
Created: 4/17/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/17/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Cerdelga (eliglustat)
Category: Medications
Created: 4/17/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/17/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Sublocade (buprenorphine)
Category: Medications
Created: 4/21/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/21/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Male Fertility Supplements Fail to Deliver
Category: Health News
Created: 1/7/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 1/8/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Birth Control Pills (List of Oral Contraceptives and Side Effects)
Category: Medications
Created: 12/31/1997 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 1/30/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Allergy Med Singulair to Get 'Black Box' Warning Over Psych Side Effects: FDA
Category: Health News
Created: 3/4/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/5/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: FDA Warns of Defective EpiPen Dangers
Category: Health News
Created: 3/25/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/26/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Health Tip: Understanding the Menopausal Transition
Category: Health News
Created: 12/2/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 12/2/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: AHA News: Dropping Blood Pressure May Predict Frailty, Falls in Older People
Category: Health News
Created: 3/30/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/31/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Prolia (denosumab)
Category: Medications
Created: 4/17/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/17/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Therapy by Phone Helps Parkinson's Patients Manage Depression
Category: Health News
Created: 4/10/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/13/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Austedo (deutetrabenazine)
Category: Medications
Created: 4/17/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/17/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg Treated for Gallbladder Infection
Category: Health News
Created: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Got Flu? Deal Quickly With Complications
Category: Health News
Created: 2/2/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/3/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Many Car Crash Deaths Involve Alcohol Levels Below Legal Limit: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 3/16/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/17/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Ride-Sharing Services Tied to Rise in Car Crashes
Category: Health News
Created: 4/7/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/8/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: When Booze Labels Carry Health Warnings, Drinking Declines: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 5/4/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/4/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: AI May Help Guide Patients to Most Effective Antidepressant
Category: Health News
Created: 2/10/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/11/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Trazodone (Desyrel)
Category: Medications
Created: 3/26/1998 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/12/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: AHA News: Stroke Survivors Might Need Better Screening for Depression
Category: Health News
Created: 2/12/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/13/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Teen Moms at High Risk for Depression, Anxiety
Category: Health News
Created: 2/28/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/2/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Is the 'Gratitude Movement' Overrated? Study Finds It Has Limits
Category: Health News
Created: 3/16/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/17/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Magnetic Brain 'Zap' Shows Promise Against Severe Depression
Category: Health News
Created: 4/7/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/8/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: FDA Approves Trodelvy for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Category: Health News
Created: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Dengue Fever
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 5/31/1998 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/26/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: Health Tip: Travelling to a High Altitude
Category: Health News
Created: 8/7/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/7/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: U.S. Issues Highest Travel Alert for China as WHO Declares Health Emergency
Category: Health News
Created: 1/31/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/3/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: First Good Evidence That Brain Hits 'Replay' While You Sleep
Category: Health News
Created: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM

There is a need to develop novel approaches to improve the balance between efficacy and toxicity for transcription factor–targeted therapies. In this study, we exploit context-dependent differences in RNA polymerase II processivity as an approach to improve the activity and limit the toxicity of the EWS-FLI1–targeted small molecule, mithramycin, for Ewing sarcoma. The clinical activity of mithramycin for Ewing sarcoma is limited by off-target liver toxicity that restricts the serum concentration to levels insufficient to inhibit EWS-FLI1. In this study, we perform an siRNA screen of the druggable genome followed by a matrix drug screen to identify mithramycin potentiators and a synergistic "class" effect with cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) inhibitors. These CDK9 inhibitors enhanced the mithramycin-mediated suppression of the EWS-FLI1 transcriptional program leading to a shift in the IC₅₀ and striking regressions of Ewing sarcoma xenografts. To determine whether these compounds may also be liver protective, we performed a qPCR screen of all known liver toxicity genes in HepG2 cells to identify mithramycin-driven transcriptional changes that contribute to the liver toxicity. Mithramycin induces expression of the BTG2 gene in HepG2 but not Ewing sarcoma cells, which leads to a liver-specific accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). siRNA silencing of BTG2 rescues the induction of ROS and the cytotoxicity of mithramycin in these cells. Furthermore, CDK9 inhibition blocked the induction of BTG2 to limit cytotoxicity in HepG2, but not Ewing sarcoma cells. These studies provide the basis for a synergistic and less toxic EWS-FLI1–targeted combination therapy for Ewing sarcoma.

The development of efficacious therapies targeting metastatic spread of breast cancer to the brain represents an unmet clinical need. Accordingly, an improved understanding of the molecular underpinnings of central nervous system spread and progression of breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) is required. In this study, the clinical burden of disease in BCBM was investigated, as well as the role of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A3 (ALDH1A3) in the metastatic cascade leading to BCBM development. Initial analysis of clinical survival trends for breast cancer and BCBM determined improvement of breast cancer survival rates; however, this has failed to positively affect the prognostic milestones of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) brain metastases (BM). ALDH1A3 and a representative epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene signature (mesenchymal markers, CD44 or Vimentin) were compared in tumors derived from BM, lung metastases (LM), or bone metastases (BoM) of patients as well as mice after injection of TNBC cells. Selective elevation of the EMT signature and ALDH1A3 were observed in BM, unlike LM and BoM, especially in the tumor edge. Furthermore, ALDH1A3 was determined to play a role in BCBM establishment via regulation of circulating tumor cell adhesion and migration phases in the BCBM cascade. Validation through genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of ALDH1A3 via lentiviral shRNA knockdown and a novel small-molecule inhibitor demonstrated selective inhibition of BCBM formation with prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice. Given the survival benefits via targeting ALDH1A3, it may prove an effective therapeutic strategy for BCBM prevention and/or treatment.

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and an agonistic antibody against the death-inducing TRAIL receptor 5, DR5, are thought to selectively induce tumor cell death and therefore, have gained attention as potential therapeutics currently under investigation in several clinical trials. However, some tumor cells are resistant to TRAIL/DR5–induced cell death, even though they express DR5. Previously, we reported that DR5 is transported into the nucleus by importin β1, and knockdown of importin β1 upregulates cell surface expression of DR5 resulting in increased TRAIL sensitivity in vitro. Here, we examined the impact of importin β1 knockdown on agonistic anti-human DR5 (hDR5) antibody therapy. Drug-inducible importin β1 knockdown sensitizes HeLa cells to TRAIL-induced cell death in vitro, and exerts an antitumor effect when combined with agonistic anti-hDR5 antibody administration in vivo. Therapeutic importin β1 knockdown, administered via the atelocollagen delivery system, as well as treatment with the importin β inhibitor, importazole, induced regression and/or eradication of two human TRAIL-resistant tumor cells when combined with agonistic anti-hDR5 antibody treatment. Thus, these findings suggest that the inhibition of importin β1 would be useful to improve the therapeutic effects of agonistic anti-hDR5 antibody against TRAIL-resistant cancers.

Dysregulation of DNA methylation is an established feature of breast cancers. DNA demethylating therapies like decitabine are proposed for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) and indicators of response need to be identified. For this purpose, we characterized the effects of decitabine in a panel of 10 breast cancer cell lines and observed a range of sensitivity to decitabine that was not subtype specific. Knockdown of potential key effectors demonstrated the requirement of deoxycytidine kinase (DCK) for decitabine response in breast cancer cells. In treatment-naïve breast tumors, DCK was higher in TNBCs, and DCK levels were sustained or increased post chemotherapy treatment. This suggests that limited DCK levels will not be a barrier to response in patients with TNBC treated with decitabine as a second-line treatment or in a clinical trial. Methylome analysis revealed that genome-wide, region-specific, tumor suppressor gene–specific methylation, and decitabine-induced demethylation did not predict response to decitabine. Gene set enrichment analysis of transcriptome data demonstrated that decitabine induced genes within apoptosis, cell cycle, stress, and immune pathways. Induced genes included those characterized by the viral mimicry response; however, knockdown of key effectors of the pathway did not affect decitabine sensitivity suggesting that breast cancer growth suppression by decitabine is independent of viral mimicry. Finally, taxol-resistant breast cancer cells expressing high levels of multidrug resistance transporter ABCB1 remained sensitive to decitabine, suggesting that the drug could be used as second-line treatment for chemoresistant patients.

Physical and chemical DNA-damaging agents are used widely in the treatment of cancer. Double-strand break (DSB) lesions in DNA are the most deleterious form of damage and, if left unrepaired, can effectively kill cancer cells. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a critical component of nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), one of the two major pathways for DSB repair. Although DNA-PK has been considered an attractive target for cancer therapy, the development of pharmacologic DNA-PK inhibitors for clinical use has been lagging. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable DNA-PK inhibitor, M3814 (peposertib), and provide in vivo proof of principle for DNA-PK inhibition as a novel approach to combination radiotherapy. M3814 potently inhibits DNA-PK catalytic activity and sensitizes multiple cancer cell lines to ionizing radiation (IR) and DSB-inducing agents. Inhibition of DNA-PK autophosphorylation in cancer cells or xenograft tumors led to an increased number of persistent DSBs. Oral administration of M3814 to two xenograft models of human cancer, using a clinically established 6-week fractionated radiation schedule, strongly potentiated the antitumor activity of IR and led to complete tumor regression at nontoxic doses. Our results strongly support DNA-PK inhibition as a novel approach for the combination radiotherapy of cancer. M3814 is currently under investigation in combination with radiotherapy in clinical trials.

The invertebrate trace fossils Selenichnites rossendalensis and Crescentichnus tesiltus are recorded and described from the Middle Jurassic Gristhorpe Member of the Cloughton Formation of the Cleveland Basin. This is the first record of these ichnospecies from the basin and now completes the occurrence of these and other traces assumed to have been made by limulids from all three non-marine formations of the Ravenscar Group.

Field evidence shows that emplacement of Devonian granites in northern England overlaps in space and time with the end of the supposed Acadian deformation in their country rocks. The age of this Acadian event in England and Wales is in need of review because of revised Rb-Sr and K-Ar decay constants and recently acquired radiometric ages on the granites.

Published K-Ar and Ar-Ar cleavage ages recalculated to the new decay constants range from 404 to 394 Ma (Emsian, Early Devonian). Emplacement of the Skiddaw and Weardale granites at 398.8 ± 0.4 and 399.3 ± 0.7 Ma respectively is indicated by U-Pb zircon ages, and is compatible with the field evidence. However, emplacement of the Shap Granite at a Re-Os molybdenite age of 405.2 ± 1.8 Ma and at the youngest U-Pb zircon age of 403 ± 8 Ma matches the field evidence less well. The apparent paradox in these ages is resolved if the K-Ar ages record only the end of millions of years of cleavage formation. An earlier cluster of K-Ar and Ar-Ar cleavage ages at 426–420 Ma (Ludlow to Přídolí, late Silurian) dates a pre-Acadian resetting event soon after Iapetus closure, an event of uncertain significance.

Ion microprobe U-Pb zircon ages for the Shap Granite have a mean of 415.6 ± 1.4 Ma but a range of 428–403 Ma, compatible with a long magmatic history. Thermal considerations suggest that this history was not at the upper crustal emplacement site but in a mid-crustal mush zone, now preserved at about 10 km depth as a component of the Lake District and North Pennine batholiths.

Oil residues occur as solid bitumen in mineralized zones within the Devonian Weardale Granite of the northern Pennines, northern England. Comparable residues are present in the overlying Mississippian rocks and were probably derived from a Carboniferous source, i.e. during later mineralization of the granite. The bitumen was already solidified during fluorite mineralization, which does not contain oil inclusions. The residues do not show the high thermal maturity of organic matter in the region altered by the earliest Permian Whin Sill. Like the sulphide-fluorite mineralization, oil emplacement post-dated intrusion of the sill. Pyrite associated with the oil residues is enriched in trace elements including lead, silver, gold, selenium and tellurium, which suggests that mineralizing fluids at least shared pathways with migrating hydrocarbons and possibly also suggests undiscovered valuable metal resources.

Commonly used model teeth are so far uniform in color and hardness. There is no discrimination between enamel and dentin part of a tooth. This condition makes it difficult to train a preparation technique, which is adapted to real tooth substance. The aim of this study was to design and establish a 3D printed tooth with different layers for enamel and dentin for education in crown preparation. A printable tooth with different layers for enamel and dentin was designed, and all 38 fourth-year dental students in the first clinical course in prosthodontics and 30 experienced dentists were trained during a voluntary hands-on course in 2019. Prior to the study, the students had used standard model teeth and real-teeth models in their preclinical education. They had experience in caries removal and preparation on real patients. The perceived benefits of the 3D printed tooth were evaluated by a questionnaire. All individuals in both groups completed the questionnaire, for a 100% response rate. The results showed that the printed tooth was given an overall mean grade of 2.3 (students) and 2.0 (experts) on a scale from 1=excellent to 5=poor. The difference in hardness between the dentin and enamel layer was given a mean of 2.4 (students and experts) and the difference in color a 1.7 (students) and 1.8 (experts). The tooth model with the prepared tooth illustrating an ideal preparation was graded 1.6 (students and experts). In this study, the students had the opportunity to learn a correct crown preparation on a printed tooth with different material properties for enamel and dentin. The learning effect with this tooth model was rated as good on the questionnaire by both students and expert dentists.

This article describes the development of medical competencies for oral medicine specialty training in the UK and Ireland by a collaborative working group using a modified Delphi technique. The current specialty training curriculum for oral medicine (OM) in the UK was developed by a working group including members of the British Society for Oral Medicine (BSOM) and members of the Specialty Advisory Committee for Additional Dental Specialties (SACADS) and adopted by the UK General Dental Council (GDC) in 2010. When the curriculum was developed, the entry requirements for specialty training in OM included undergraduate degrees in both dentistry and medicine. At the time of adoption, the requirement for a medical degree was removed. Medical competencies were assumed to have been delivered in medical undergraduate and postgraduate training. Accordingly, there was a need to define the medical competencies for OM specialty training to benefit trainees, trainers, and assessors. In 2018, a group comprising specialty trainers, recent former specialty trainees, and current specialty trainees in OM held face-to-face meetings in addition to email discussions and developed an updated curriculum document to better reflect the medical competencies required in specialty training. A collaborative modified Delphi approach was used to evaluate medical foundation competencies and to include only those that were considered relevant to OM specialty training. A list of relevant and achievable medical competencies was determined that has been approved by SACADS and will be incorporated into a revised OM curriculum from the UK GDC. The newly agreed-upon document for medical competencies in OM specialty training will serve as a reference for trainees, trainers, and assessors and reflects a successful use of a modified Delphi approach.

The aims of this study were to qualitatively assess dental public health (DPH) residents’ perspectives on teaching methods for DPH competencies and to develop and implement a case-based simulation to address those competencies, constructed on the basis of the qualitative assessment. Focus group discussions were conducted with 18 DPH residents enrolled in two university-based DPH programs. Topic areas discussed in the two focus groups were perceived value of DPH competencies, ways to acquire new DPH skills/abilities, and additional skills/abilities needed by DPH residents. The focus groups’ responses showed that the residents felt competent in the analytical thinking competencies such as research methodology and critiquing literature. They emphasized the importance of learning leadership skills and reported feeling somewhat uncertain about their mastery of the policy and advocacy and system evaluation competencies. Of the two distinct categories of DPH skills and competencies— analytical/critical thinking and practical competencies—these residents reported that a greater proportion of time needed to be devoted to integrating the practical competencies into their education. Based on the residents’ feedback, the authors developed a structured seminar series taking a case-based approach to simulate real-world DPH problems, using real and semi-hypothetical planning projects to meet the residents’ perceived needs and covering gaps between didactic learning and practice.

Dental students’ ability to critique team performance in dental school team clinics is a key component of dental education. The aim of this study was to determine if students’ perceptions of their team leaders’ openness of communication, cooperative decision making, and well-defined goals were positively related to the students’ improvement-oriented voice behavior and willingness to raise concerns in the clinical environment. This study used a voluntary 12-question survey, distributed via email to all 311 students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine after completion of the spring 2017 semester. Eighty-seven students responded, for a response rate of 28%. Responses were stratified by team, class year, and gender, and the quantitative distribution of answers to each question was correlated with each other. Team leader collaborative qualities, which included openness for communication, cooperative decision making, and well-defined goals, were found to have a significant positive relationship with students’ willingness to both raise concerns and make suggestions. Additionally, when measured by class year and gender, team differences in voice behavior assessment by students across the teams were found to be independent of class year, and no significant differences were found by gender. These results suggested that, to maintain high levels of communication, proper reporting of concerns, and a high standard of care, dental schools should encourage team leaders to enhance their capacity to present active collaborative behaviors in the school’s clinic. The study also highlighted potential opportunities for further study of faculty traits and development in the dental school team model.

Dental students in North American dental schools are exposed to faculty members with various professional backgrounds. These faculty members may include dentists, dental hygienists, and scientists without clinical dental credentials. The practice of dental hygienists’ educating predoctoral dental students has not been well documented. The aims of this two-part study were to investigate the parameters of didactic, preclinical, and clinical instruction of dental students by dental hygienist faculty members in North American dental schools and to explore dental students’ perceptions of this form of teaching. In part one, a survey was sent electronically to the clinical or academic affairs deans of all 76 American Dental Education Association (ADEA) member dental schools in 2017. Twenty-nine responded, for a 38.2% response rate. In 76% of the responding schools, dental hygienists were teaching dental students. Most respondents reported that, in their schools, the minimum degree required to teach didactically was a master’s, while a bachelor’s degree was required for preclinical and clinical courses. There was no significant association between dental hygienists’ instructing dental students and having a dental hygiene educational program at the institution. In part two of the study, a questionnaire was completed by 102 graduating dental students (85% response rate) at one U.S. university to evaluate the impact of dental hygienist educators. Among the respondents, 87% reported feeling that dental hygienists were very effective educators. There were no significant differences in responses between traditional and advanced standing international dental students. This study found that dental hygienists were educating dental students in many North American dental schools and were doing so in curricular content beyond periodontics and that their educational contributions at a sample school were valued by the dental students there.

Few studies have been published on thesis completion experiences of master’s degree students. However, for doctoral students, dissertation completion has been found to be dependent on individual, relational, and institutional factors. The aim of this study was to examine dental hygienists’ perceptions of their experiences completing a thesis as a requirement for an advanced degree. A qualitative phenomenological research design was used utilizing virtual focus groups with a national purposive sample of dental hygienists (n=25) who had graduated from a degree program in which a thesis was a requirement for the degree. Data analysis used an inductive approach to identify themes using Liechty et al.’s framework of individual, relational, and institutional factors impacting completion of a dissertation. Liechty et al.’s framework is based on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of learning. In the results, individual factors identified included family/work responsibilities, lack of understanding of the thesis process, time management, health issues, and reaching personal and professional goals. Relational factors focused primarily on positive and negative experiences with the thesis advisor/committee and support from expert peers/family. Institutional factors included the thesis structure, financial concerns, and challenges in recruiting research participants. This study found many factors influencing the thesis experience that may help guide the process in graduate degree programs. In addition, the findings suggest a need to provide mentoring and support for thesis advisors and committee members to more effectively guide students through the thesis process. Effective modifications of these may improve retention of students and facilitate timely completion of thesis research.

Changes in U.S. health care delivery systems and Commission on Dental Accreditation standards provide impetus for interprofessional education (IPE) and collaborative practice, but roadmaps for engaging dental and dental hygiene faculty to incorporate IPE in a systematic manner are limited. The purpose of this report is to describe the process for creating a strategy and gathering a variety of baseline data to use for determining objectives and metrics and the subsequent development of an IPE strategic plan at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry (SOD). SOD IPE committee members included representation from the UNC Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Business. A three-phase framework was developed. Phase 1 (IPE assessment) was an internal environmental scan including a 2017 faculty survey, departmental mapping of IPE activities, comparison of UNC with national results on the IPE component of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) survey of dental school seniors (2016 graduating class), identification of faculty joint/adjunct appointments at other UNC schools, and a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis. Phase 2 (visioning) consisted of development of IPE mission, vision, and priorities. In Phase 3 (implementation), priorities were developed. Data-gathering led to a strategic plan with three objectives: 1) increase faculty engagement and recognition, 2) develop predoctoral dentistry and dental hygiene IPE curricula, and 3) develop an infrastructure that supports IPE. Specific initiatives and activities, supporting metrics, and estimated costs were developed for each objective. The framework guided a systematic, transparent, and organized process for collecting and monitoring the evidence and directing activities. A three-year strategic plan for IPE was developed in 2017, and implementation is ongoing.

Clinical teaching is a cornerstone of health sciences education; it is also the most challenging aspect. The University of Pittsburgh Schools of Dental Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy developed a new evidence-based interprofessional course framed as a faculty learning community (FLC) around the principles of learning in a clinical environment. The aim of this study was to assess the overall effectiveness of this two-semester FLC at four health professions schools in academic year 2014-15. The assessment included anonymous participant surveys in each session and an anonymous end-of-course survey. Thirty-five faculty members from dental, health and rehabilitation sciences, nursing, and pharmacy enrolled in the FLC, with six to 32 enrollees attending each session. All attendees at each session completed the session evaluation surveys, but the attendance rate at each session ranged from 17.1% to 91.4%. Sixteen participants (46%) completed the end-of-course survey. The results showed overall positive responses to the FLC and changes in the participants’ self-reported knowledge. Session surveys showed that the participants found the FLC topics helpful and appreciated the opportunity to learn from each other and the interprofessional nature of the FLC. Responses to the end-of-course survey were in alignment with the individual session surveys and cited specific benefits as being the content, teaching materials, and structured discussions. In additional feedback, participants reported interest to continue as a cohort and to extend the peer-support system beyond the FLC. This outcomes assessment of the first round of the FLC confirmed that this cohort-based faculty development in an interprofessional setting was well received by its participants. Their feedback provided valuable insights for changes to future offerings.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the faculty mentoring practices in seven dental schools in the U.S. A 34-item survey was administered electronically to dental faculty members of all ranks, tracks, and job categories in seven dental schools using faculty listservs. Survey questions addressed current mentoring practices in which the faculty members were involved; their perceptions of those mentoring practices; their perceived characteristics of an ideal mentoring program, mentor, and mentee; perceived best practices; and respondents’ demographics. The survey was conducted from October 2017 to February 2018. A total of 154 surveys were completed (response rate 22%). Over 58% (90/154) of the respondents reported receiving no mentoring; 31.9% (49/154) said they received informal mentoring; and 9.7% (15/154) received formal mentoring. Of the 64 respondents who received mentoring, both formal and informal, 92.2% (59/64) were full-time faculty, and 7.8% (5/64) were part-time faculty (p=0.001). Approximately 39% of the respondents indicated that their mentoring program was not overseen by anyone and that participation was voluntary. The top three perceived benefits of mentoring were increased overall professional development, development of a career plan, and increased professional networks. The three most important characteristics of an ideal mentoring program for the respondents were a program based on the needs of the mentee, a mentor who has the desire to help the mentee, and a mentee who is eager to learn. The results of this study showed a very low level of formal or informal faculty mentoring programs in the dental schools surveyed. Future studies are needed to determine best practices and strategies to expand and enhance mentoring of faculty members.