Sheffield University Launches Free Online Dental Course For Youngsters

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Sheffield University has launched a new online dental course, which is free of charge, to help young people learn more about pursuing a career in dentistry.

The course is classed as a MOOC (massive open online course) and is available on the FutureLearn site. It was set up by Dr Christopher Stokes, a senior lecturer at the university’s dental school, and provides students with an insight into the dental industry.

Dr Stokes said that young people often make decisions about their future based on limited knowledge and experience and this course enables students to learn a bit more about dentistry and life as a dentist before they apply for university places. The course may confirm a student’s desire to be a dentist or point them towards a different career path.

The curriculum for the course, which is a six week programme, is taken from a two year programme available at the university, which prepares students for the dental degree.

Dr Stokes said that the course is a very useful tool to educate young people about dentistry, but also a valuable addition to their university applications, as competition for medicine and dentistry degrees is extremely fierce. Students require more than three As at A-level now and this course allows them to prepare for the interview and improve their applications, as completing the course demonstrates a genuine interest in the industry and a willingness to learn.

The course is available now and covers a wide range of issues and areas, from the study of dental diseases, to technology and imaging and the latest dental treatments.

MOOCs have become extremely popular, especially in the USA and they are expected to become much more commonplace in the UK over the next few years.

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