Transforming clinical dental education: Implementation and impact of clinical education professor system

Purpose: This study explores the implementation and educational impact of the Clinical Education Professor (CEP) system at a dental school in Korea. The system was introduced to address the limitations of traditional, parttime instructional models and to ensure consistent, competency-based instruction through a full-time, student-centered framework.Materials and Methods: Yonsei University College of Dentistry reorganized its clinical instruction by appointing full-time CEPs in the student clinic. These faculty members supervise direct patient care, provide immediate feedback, and conduct standardized assessments. A mixed-methods approach was employed to evaluate the system’s contribution to structured, longitudinal, and individualized clinical learning.Results: Findings indicate that the CEP system significantly increased hands-on training opportunities and provided students with earlier and broader patient exposure. This led to enhanced independent clinical competency. Furthermore, student surveys revealed highly positive perceptions of the system, and the framework improved instructional quality by reinforcing faculty accountability and formalizing feedback processes.Conclusion: The CEP system offers a promising and effective direction for improving clinical training. By transitioning to a full-time supervisory model, dental schools can enhance the quality of competency-based education, providing a valuable framework for other health disciplines facing similar clinical training challenges.