Office of International Relations - Diversity Seminars and Continuing Education Programs
Cross-Cultural Communications Seminars
The increasing ethnic diversity in the US society makes it necessary for health professionals to be aware of and familiar with the varying cultural backgrounds that are represented by patients, students and other health care workers. Culture is one of the controlling influences in the way people live, think, speak, and behave. A lack of understanding of cultural differences may lead to miscommunication and hinder student learning and/or effective delivery of care to patients. It may also create unnecessary confrontations between students and faculty and/or patients.
The diversity seminars provide participants an awareness and understanding of the increasing diversity in the US society; an orientation to value differences between western and non-western societies; an understanding of responses to diversity; development of beginning skills in analyzing cultural differences and initial application of beginning knowledge of cultural differences in communication and interactions. These seminars are offered on a limited basis, by invitation, to dental hygiene organizations, faculty, staff, and students of the School of Dental Medicine.
An Endodontic Residency for Foreign Dentists
Endodontics has changed fundamentally during the past decade: the concepts were reconsidered, the instruments were redesigned and the clinical approaches were reevaluated and changed. This residency has been especially designed for the dentists who would like to incorporate state-of-the-art endodontic techniques and technologies into their private dental practices. The program is suitable for those clinicians who have a particular interest in endodontics, would like to expand their endodontic knowledge and skills, so as to provide advanced endodontic care to their patients, but are not able to commit to a full two-year postgraduate program. Click here for more information.
Additional CDE courses are available through the Penn Dental Medicine Lifelong Learning department.
