ADAVB opposes graduate entry

As reported in our Blog posting of 16 November last, The University of Melbourne has proposed that courses leading to professional qualifications, including dentistry, should become graduate entry programs. The Bologna model of a three year undergraduate degree followed by a two year graduate degree had originally been suggested as the preferred approach.

A variation on this approach appears to be under consideration for health professional courses, which essentially involves students completing a three year undergraduate degree, probably in biological science, before entering a four year graduate degree.

The ADAVB has lodged a submission with the Council of The University of Melbourne urging that they exempt the Dentistry courses from adoption of the Bologna model, preserving all current dental degrees, including both the present five year undergraduate Bachelor of Dental Science degree and the three year Bachelor of Oral Health Science undertaken by Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists.

In the event the University is unwilling to exempt the dental course from graduate entry requirements, then we have recommended that they use a Bachelor of Biological Science degree as the pre-requisite for entry to the graduate dental degree.

The ADAVB has also asked :
> that a number of places in the dental degree be reserved for experienced dental hygienists and dental therapists in order to provide a dental career path for these operatives.
> that at least 70 Commonwealth Supported Places be provided in each year of the dental degree.
> that the Faculty of Dental Science be reinstated.