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Continuing education—a professional responsibility
Continuing ed u ca tion -a professional responsibility ■ ■ I The importance which the dental profession attaches to continuing education is illustrated by the fact that the very first section of the Principles o f Ethics declares that “every dentist has the obli gation of keeping his knowledge and skill fresh ened by continuing education through all of his professional life.” This ethical commitment has guided the members of the Association for many years and will continue to have a strong influence on the responsibility which the profession feels toward maintaining the quality of its service to the public. Since the advent of Title X IX of the Social Se curity Act, the profession has been confronted in one state with the unprecedented and unnecessary establishment of regulations by a Departm ent of Welfare prescribing the standards of continuing education which dentists must meet in order to participate in the Medicaid program. In addition to this unwelcome intrusion of a nondental agen cy on what is a fundamental responsibility of the dental profession, a National Advisory Commis sion on Health Manpower has proposed that “pro fessional societies and state governments should explore the possibility of periodic relicensing of physicians and other health professionals.” Anticipating these excursions into what is es sentially a responsibility of the dental profession, the House of Delegates adopted a resolution in 1966 “ that the determination of the qualifications of the individual dentists participating in publicly funded health programs should be the prerogative of governing bodies of component and constituent dental societies and state dental examining boards.” In the following year, the House of Delegates re committed to the Council on Dental Education a resolution which urged constituent dental soci eties and state boards of dentistry to develop mech anisms to insure the continuing competence of all licensed dentists but in 1968 the House ap proved the following resolution proposed by the Council:
Resolved, that constituent dental soci eties, in consultation with state boards
238 ■ JADA, Vol. 78, February 1969
of dentistry, are urged to develop mech anisms to foster the continued education of dentists licensed in their jurisdiction. During debate on this resolution, there were some who questioned the desirability of involv ing state boards of dentistry in the development of programs to foster the continuing education of dental practitioners but the House upheld the wis dom of this suggestion by a substantial vote. There were also some who felt that the Associa tion should defer a forthright statement declaring that it is the responsibility of the dental profession to develop programs to assure the continuing edu cation of dentists, but the members of the House of Delegates recognized the need for such a state ment at this time in order to make it perfectly clear that the profession is prepared to discharge its responsibility in this important field of educa tion. Among the suggestions made during the 1968 annual session was a proposal that the Bylaws of the American Dental Association be amended to permit constituent societies to require reasonable evidence of continuing education for the main tenance of membership if they wish to do so. During its December 1968 meeting, the Council on Dental Education supported this recommenda tion and indicated its intention to submit the neces sary Bylaw amendments to the 1969 session of the House. As pointed out in the 1968 annual report of the Council on Dental Education, there are many problems involved in the development of an effec tive continuing education program that will meet the needs of all members of the profession. It is encouraging, however, that the elected representa tives of the Association have recorded their sup port of this im portant professional responsibility. It is hoped that the constituent societies and state boards will give prompt and serious considera tion to ways of implementing the 1968 action of the House of Delegates so that the profession can demonstrate to all who are willing to see that it intends to continue to discharge its responsibility for maintaining the education of its members.
Resolved, that constituent dental soci eties, in consultation with state boards
238 ■ JADA, Vol. 78, February 1969
of dentistry, are urged to develop mech anisms to foster the continued education of dentists licensed in their jurisdiction. During debate on this resolution, there were some who questioned the desirability of involv ing state boards of dentistry in the development of programs to foster the continuing education of dental practitioners but the House upheld the wis dom of this suggestion by a substantial vote. There were also some who felt that the Associa tion should defer a forthright statement declaring that it is the responsibility of the dental profession to develop programs to assure the continuing edu cation of dentists, but the members of the House of Delegates recognized the need for such a state ment at this time in order to make it perfectly clear that the profession is prepared to discharge its responsibility in this important field of educa tion. Among the suggestions made during the 1968 annual session was a proposal that the Bylaws of the American Dental Association be amended to permit constituent societies to require reasonable evidence of continuing education for the main tenance of membership if they wish to do so. During its December 1968 meeting, the Council on Dental Education supported this recommenda tion and indicated its intention to submit the neces sary Bylaw amendments to the 1969 session of the House. As pointed out in the 1968 annual report of the Council on Dental Education, there are many problems involved in the development of an effec tive continuing education program that will meet the needs of all members of the profession. It is encouraging, however, that the elected representa tives of the Association have recorded their sup port of this im portant professional responsibility. It is hoped that the constituent societies and state boards will give prompt and serious considera tion to ways of implementing the 1968 action of the House of Delegates so that the profession can demonstrate to all who are willing to see that it intends to continue to discharge its responsibility for maintaining the education of its members.