The aim of the Dentistry degree programme is to educate clinically experienced and competent dentists.
The Dentistry programme at the Medical University of Vienna is to impart the necessary skills for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of anomalies and diseases of teeth, mouth and jaw as well as the attendant tissue The graduates are meant to acquire the skills to fit the job profile of a specialist in dentistry, oral medicine and maxillofacial surgery to the full extent.
In order to reach these goals, the prospective dentists have to be taught the knowledge, skills and the professional demeanour in the framework of the appropriate curriculum with adequate methods in a holistic and integrative way, and this has to be studied, examined and evaluated.
Graduates of the Dentistry degree programme need to have professional as well as human qualifications. After graduating, the young dentists need to
- be able to take on full responsibility for the successful and safe treatment of patients
- be conscious of the need for constant, lifelong professional continuous education, and
- be able to correctly interpret new scientific findings and to apply them in their professional practice.
Qualification Profile of Graduates
Basic knowledge and comprehension
- for the scientific basis of dentistry as well as other fields relevant for dentistry
- about the possibilities and options for self-directed knowledge acquisition as well as critical questioning of new scientific findings on dental problems and diseases, their diagnosis and the multitude of currently available examination techniques, treatments and prevention measures.
- of pathological processes such as infection, inflammation, immune reactions, degeneration, neoplasia, metabolic or genetic disorders, accidents and emergencies.
- of a training in general medicine, which makes possible an early detection of health problems.
- of the basic outlines of health promotion and prevention, the organisation of the health and hospital system as well the importance of management and cost effectiveness for the practice of medicine.
- of the effect of organic or mental disorders of individual patients on their social environment
- of medical ethics, medical law, labour and social law as well as legal rules on safety and the health system.
In addition, graduates dispose of adequate training for the position of radiation safety officers, which is necessary to deal with sources of radiation in dentistry.
The dentist disposes of
- the ability to procure the necessary information, check it for validity and usefulness, analyse problems and questions, plan constructive solutions and set priorities, if needed.
- the ability to efficiently communicate with patients, their relatives, colleagues and members of other medical professions in the spirit of interdisciplinary dialogue.
- the ability to note and to document an extensive anamnesis, to perform the appropriate examinations, to interpret the findings gained from anamnesis and examination and, if needed to initiate additional diagnostic measures. In that sense, the dentist is capable of determining the problems and disorders of a patient and to establish a professionally well-founded treatment plan.
- substantial manual skills and a good spatial sense and therefore the ability to apply those curative and prophylactic procedures with the greatest competence and care that need to be applied for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disorders or diseases of teeth, the masticatory apparatus and the oral cavity according to the state of scientific dentistry.
The dentist
- documents by his or her demeanour his or her effort to practice the profession of dentist in the best possible way. This includes the demeanour and the willingness for permanent continuous education, based on the active acquisition of knowledge and the continuous aspiration to improve the quality of patient care by improving one's own level of knowledge
- possesses the skill to critically evaluate his/her own performance and to be open-minded in the event of an evaluation by external experts.
- has learned to recognise the limits of his or her own skills and call upon experts, when necessary. He/she has the ability to successfully work with colleagues and members of other professions in a team.
- is always aware of the social aspects of patient care.
- always treats patients, colleagues and other staff with respect, which is also expressed by recognising the differences in social status, language and culture, in an open-minded way.
- was trained in the respect of patient rights, especially regarding the patients' right to information and consent on a treatment as well as the safeguard of medical confidentiality.
- is conscious of the importance of moral and ethical responsibility when suggesting a treatment option
- has the skill to cope with exceptional circumstances, such as stress, insecurity or failure.