The EUC School of Dentistry will utilise state-of-the-art infrastructure for the training of orthodontic residents. (Image: Athanasios Athanasiou/ EUC School of Dentistry)
A new MSc in Orthodontics programme offered by the European University Cyprus (EUC) will enable clinicians in the country to train and specialise without having to go abroad. Completely accredited across Europe, the programme is still in the preparation phase but promises to also attract students from across the continent as well. Dental Tribune International spoke with Dr Athanasios E. Athanasiou, the dean and professor of orthodontics at the School of Dentistry at EUC, about what it takes to develop, accredit and launch such a programme.
Professor Athanasios Athanasiou. (Athanasios Athanasiou)
Prof. Athanasiou, advanced dental education programmes are offered nowadays in many countries. Could you share why the announcement of the new orthodontic programme of your university starting in September 2023 is important? EUC has boosted the country’s health education sector through the establishment of the most comprehensive studies in the fields of medicine, dentistry and health sciences and serves as a beacon attracting academics and students from around the globe. The MSc in Orthodontics programme at EUC is the first in the country that provides the didactic and clinical training to prepare dental graduates to become orthodontic specialists. This postgraduate specialty training programme will contribute to the provision of advanced orthodontic services in the country and is expected to attract international applicants, as is the case with our undergraduate programme that is attended by students of more than 30 nationalities.
Could you give our readers an overview of what goes into developing a new dental programme? Those who design a new orthodontic specialty programme and create materials and a curriculum for it require extensive knowledge and experience in postgraduate education. In addition, much administrative work is necessary for preparing and submitting the application to the university and governmental authorities for accreditation and approval. This includes the detailed preparation of the structure, curriculum, course distribution per semester, timetable, and outline and syllabi of each course, as well as academic faculty assignments. Our preparation started two years ago, and after an exhausting evaluation review process involving university committees and the site visit of an external committee consisting of university experts in dental education from the Netherlands, Spain and the UK, in June 2022, the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education approved and accredited the programme. In parallel, the EUC School of Dentistry has started the preparation of all necessary state-of-the-art infrastructure for the educational, laboratory and clinical training of the orthodontic residents.
Does EUC have a specific vision for graduates of this new programme? Our vision is to provide postgraduate orthodontic education of a high quality through a comprehensive evidence-based academic programme combined with extensive clinical experience so that our graduates will be prepared to practise as specialists using contemporary techniques at an advanced level. The MSc in Orthodontics includes all the features of the European Erasmus training programme and fulfils the requirements of the European Commission directives regarding the education of orthodontic specialists. It also fulfils the requirements of the UK Specialist Advisory Committee in Orthodontics and the World Federation of Orthodontists guidelines for postgraduate orthodontic education. Consequently, our graduates will be qualified to apply for specialty recognition in their respective countries according to the existing regulations.
Would you like to share anything else about this announcement with our readers? The orthodontic academic faculty of the programme includes specialists with extensive academic and professional experience. This group of teachers will be supplemented by a number of specialists in dento-maxillofacial radiology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, paediatric dentistry, periodontics and restorative dentistry as well as experienced teachers for the courses on biomedical sciences such as biostatistics, embryology, and oral physiology. I will have the honour and responsibility of coordinating the programme. I am confident that my 35-year academic experience in directing orthodontic specialty postgraduate education in Denmark, Greece and the UAE will prove very useful for our programme.
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