Major challenges face the dental profession in relation to evaluation of new products and techniques and learning new procedures. There are so many new concepts being introduced that it is impossible for busy practitioners to stay up to date in all of the new areas of dentistry. Additionally, many products and techniques are introduced in the market with only minimal research having been conducted on them beforehand, and knowledge about such products is provided primarily by practitioners’ trial and error.
Many years ago, as I graduated from dental school and entered dental practice, there were dental study clubs functioning in most parts of the country. Most young dentists joined one of these groups, and some practitioners remained active in the groups for most of their lives.
The members of study clubs selected a topic of interest; they then determined the best methods of learning about that topic and the meeting schedule best suited for doing so. There were study clubs dedicated to almost any dental topic—gold foil, amalgam, gold inlays, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, practice administration. These groups became small fraternities with a high degree of loyalty and a tradition of lifelong membership. And as members participated in study clubs, they became very proficient in the concept or technique in which the group had interest.
Contrary to this historical perspective, a minimal number of younger dentists belong to study clubs. They obtain their knowledge about new products, concepts and techniques from a variety of sources—some relatively reliable, others questionable. What has happened to the study club concept? Is there a way to reinvent it to fit modern standards and needs? I feel strongly that the dental study club deserves resurrection, and the following information provides guidelines for practitioners interested in forming one.
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VARIATIONS IN STUDY CLUBS
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Specific vs. eclectic subjects.
Study club founders must decide if their groups will concentrate on one subject or many subjects. I have been the mentor of many dental study clubs in my career, and in my opinion, although there are some remaining examples of specialized study clubs, multi-topical study clubs have been the most successful.
Small vs. large memberships.
Most groups start out with a small membership, comprising only 10 to 20 members. These small groups can elect to have a clinical operating orientation. To do this, the group must secure offices, clinics, schools or other locations with adequate numbers of operatories for at least one-half of its membership. In such situations, one-half of the group operates at any one time, while the other one-half assists them. If the session is long enough, all of the members may accomplish a clinical procedure at any one meeting.
The group may elect not to have clinical operating sessions, but instead to invite local or regional clinicians to lecture or demonstrate to their group. This kind of learning is excellent, but providing an honorarium for a guest speaker can be expensive for a small group.
Larger groups do not have the option of offering hands-on clinical activity. They are limited to holding programs and seminars that are presented by their own members or by invited lecturers. The larger the group, the more feasible it is to hire a guest speaker; charging an admission fee for a large number of members and guests will provide adequate funding for speakers.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL GROUPS
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I have lectured, demonstrated and served as a mentor for many large and small groups. Some have operated successfully for many years, while others have functioned for only a few years and failed to remain viable. In my opinion, the characteristics of long-term study club activity and success are strong leadership; mandatory attendance; charging each member an attendance fee, regardless of actual attendance; obtaining the best available speakers, regardless of cost; having a portion of the meeting dedicated to socializing; and keeping the subject matter up to date.
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STARTING A DENTAL STUDY CLUB
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If you are contemplating starting a dental study club, the following steps may be helpful to you.
Evaluate the interest level of local dentists.
During a dental society or other dental meeting, poll the membership to determine the level of interest in forming a study club. Obtain a list of names of practitioners who would be potential members.
Dental study clubs provide a major opportunity for dentists to meet with other dentists and dental team members and to learn in a friendly, nonthreatening environment.
Make contact with potential members.
Call the prospective members to explain the potential study club and its planned activities. It is useful to have at least some tentative plan to give potential members the opportunity to make suggestions and critique the plan.
Invite prospective members to a meeting.
This is an important aspect of developing the study club. I suggest having the gathering at a restaurant that has a quiet, isolated meeting room and dividing the cost among all the prospective members in attendance. The purpose of this meeting is to determine if there is sufficient interest to warrant forming the study club. Assuming there is interest, members then will decide on the nature of the club. Will it have a small or large membership? What will be the major topics on which the club will focus? Will the group have a lecture-seminar or a "hands-on" orientation, or both? Where are potential meeting sites? Will presentations on the chosen subjects of discussion be given by members or by invited lecturers? What financial support will be needed to operate the club? How often will the group meet?
Write a potential constitution.
Describe the various characteristics of the club in a constitution. This document does not need to be sophisticated. It should be a written document on which the prospective members can agree.
Elect officers for the club.
After voting for officers, the members should form committees to take on each of the various immediate needs of the group.
Set meeting times for several upcoming months.
Weekday evening meetings are the easiest to maintain (on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, generally speaking). However, some groups with which I have worked have selected one full midweek day per month on which to meet. This may or may not include an evening session. If outside speakers are planned, evening sessions can be difficult because of travel complications.
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MATURATION OF THE GROUP AND ITS MEMBERS
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After a few meetings, the personality of the group matures, and the leaders evolve. Make sure, by constant discussions and directed changes, that the study club is meeting the needs of the majority of its members. I suggest inviting spouses or significant others to dinner or lunch sessions of at least some of the meetings. This broader involvement of family members increases stability of the group and helps to ensure its continued activity.
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ADVANTAGES OF BELONGING TO A DENTAL STUDY CLUB
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Many dentists practice in a solo situation, and they seldom have professional interaction with other practitioners. Study clubs help increase this interaction. Study club members can expect to gain from their involvement in several ways:
- – increased clinical knowledge and skills;
- – friendships with other colleagues and their spouses;
- – development of a circle of professionals for referral purposes;
- – a repeating opportunity for a contemplative, out-of-the-office period;
- – the ability to obtain information about the acceptability of new products as used and evaluated by club members.
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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
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Dental study clubs provide a major opportunity for dentists to meet with other dentists and dental team members and to learn in a friendly, nonthreatening environment. They afford members the opportunity to increase their knowledge of and clinical skills in using new concepts, materials, techniques and devices by hearing about them from fellow members or by working with and evaluating innovations themselves for the benefit of other members. I strongly support the study club concept, and I feel that it should be encouraged in all clinical disciplines in all parts of the country.
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VARIATIONS IN STUDY CLUBS
CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL...
