Report: Large majority thrive in the clinic, but harsh tone calls for action

In autumn 2024, the management of the Department of Dentistry and Oral Health (IOOS) commissioned an external review of the clinical teaching environment, partly due to critical media reports describing “a toxic study environment at the Aarhus School of Dentistry”.

The final report shows that 83% of students feel safe in the clinical teaching environment and that the vast majority of both students and staff are happy with the clinical teaching activities and the learning space.

“It’s positive that so many of our students and employees are thriving in the clinical teaching environment. It’s important to keep this in mind when looking at the clinical teaching environment in general. But the review also shows that some of our students and employees have experienced a harsh and disrespectful tone in the clinic, and we need to address this,” says Siri Beier Jensen, Head of the Department of Dentistry and Oral Health.

Harsh tone especially between clinical lecturers and dentistry students

The report describes how approx. 29% of students and approx. 8% of employees have experienced being spoken to in a harsh or disrespectful tone in the clinical teaching environment. A little more than a third of students and almost one in ten employees have witnessed others being spoken to in a harsh or disrespectful tone.

These experiences relate mainly to problematic relationships between clinical teachers and dentistry students, and to some extent between dentists and dental surgery assistants as professional groups.

“I’m sorry that some of our dentistry students have experienced a harsh and disrespectful tone in our clinical teaching environment. A harsh tone leads to feelings of uncertainty and insecurity and is not conducive to well-being or learning. This is not how it should be in educational institutions and workplaces,” says Siri Beier Jensen.

According to Falck Healthcare, which conducted the review, “a harsh tone” is a suitable umbrella term for the problematic experiences and behaviours described in the report.

Working with culture takes time

The report concludes that the harsh tone in the clinical teaching environment needs to be addressed through continued and further steps on a structural, cultural and management level. The report lists 36 recommendations and initiatives.

According to Siri Beier Jensen, the report and the recommendations will provide a framework for the steps that will now be taken:

“The management team will now start prioritising the issues for which we need to develop plans to address and later implement, so we can put an end to the harsh tone in our clinical teaching environment. We will do so on the basis of the report’s recommendations,” she says before elaborating:

“Some problems can be resolved within a short time frame, while changing the culture, for example, will take longer. Most of the problems concern all of us – managers, employees and students – and we need solve them together. The work starts now.”

Advisory group to keep the process on track

According to the head of department, the framework for the process is in place.

Firstly, the management team will appoint an advisory group with broad representation of students, staff and managers to monitor the process closely, make sure that it moves forwards and stays on track.

Working groups will then start working on action plans and initiatives. The working groups have not yet been appointed, and their composition and size will depend on the issue to be addressed.

Finally, the existing departmental committees and forums, such as the boards of studies, the departmental forum and the local liaison committee (LSU) will be involved in the process as and when appropriate.

“I’m pleased that we’ve had the review done, so we now have a solid databased foundation for taking action. And I look forward to starting the work needed to underpin a good and safe clinical study and working environment for both our students and staff,” says Siri Beier Jensen.

Contact

Head of Department Siri Beier Jensen
Aarhus University, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health
Telephone: +45 93 50 85 25
Email: siri@dent.au.dk