Student Grant Spotlight: Student Evaluates Dental Training for Intellectual Disability Community in Italy
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Isabella Baga, a fourth-year dental student at the University of Milan, Italy (featured in square), poses with other Special Olympics Italy volunteers.
(Photo contributed by Special Olympics Italy) |
In 2005, Special Olympics Global Medical Advisor Dr. Matt Holder published the results of a study commissioned by Special Olympics that documented the lack of didactic and clinical training for medical and dental students in caring for patients with intellectual disabilities in the United States. In that study, 81 percent of medical school students said they were not getting any clinical training in this area, and more than half of medical and dental school deans said that graduates of their programs were not competent to treat people with intellectual disabilities.
In 2007, a Special Olympics Health Professions student grantee set out to replicate aspects of this study in her own country. Isabella Baga, a fourth-year dental student at the University of Milan, Italy, worked under the direction of Italian Special Smiles Clinical Director Dr. Claudia Dellavia to document the current state of scholarly education about dental care for individuals with intellectual disabilities in Italy. Baga sent surveys to students in dental programs throughout her country and 230 students from 11 universities responded. A key finding was that only 17 percent of student respondents had ever attended a meeting, seminar or course on the topic of dentistry for patients with intellectual disabilities. Most students rated the training they had received on the topic to be poor.
Nonetheless, the survey demonstrated a high level of interest in learning more about caring for this population. Students felt that a full 4 percent of clinical training time and 5 percent of didactic training should be devoted to caring for patients with intellectual disabilities. Over 50 percent of students expressed interest in working in dental offices specifically dedicated to the oral care of patients with intellectual disabilities, and though only 42 percent of students had previously heard of Special Olympics, 25 percent of students expressed interest in becoming Special Smiles volunteers after receiving a very brief explanation about the program.
The findings of this study mirror those of the U.S.-based study. Student interest in receiving training in caring for patients with intellectual disabilities is not yet met by the didactic and clinical offerings of dental programs in either country. Recent changes to curricular standards have begun to address this gap in the United States and it is Baga's hope that her study will help promote similar changes in Italy. Baga is planning to present the results of this study during an annual Symposium of all professors of dental and dental hygiene schools in Rome later this year.
The Special Olympics Health Professions Student Grant Program provides short (12-month) grants of US$3,500 or less to health professions and social science students for research or service projects on issues impacting the health of people with intellectual disabilities. Students can learn more about the program at: www.specialolympics.org/studentgrants.
Return to Healthy Athletes Update, Spring 2008
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