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Being an Associate, Member or Fellow of the Faculty of Dental Trainers means that you can apply for grants of up to £3,000 from the RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery. These grants can be used to help with expenses for those undertaking an appropriate educational qualification.
Laura Timms joined FDT as an Associate this year and was the recipient of an FDS grant in September 2020. We spoke with Laura and learned more about how the grant will help support her project.
A graduate from the University of Manchester, Laura currently works in Sheffield as an Academic Clinical Fellow. Her interests are management of trauma and children with medical comorbidities, with a particular interest in the prevention and minimally invasive management of caries in children.
What does receiving the award of a Dental Education Grant from the RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery mean to you?
"Receiving this award allows me to complete a post graduate certificate in medical education. This will increase my knowledge of educational theory and allow me to improve the quality of teaching I deliver to both undergraduates and multi-professional clinicians. Importantly, the certificate will give me knowledge about curriculum and teaching content and assessment design."
What is the research project this grant will help you work on?
"I wish to undertake a research project, with students, to co-produce aspects of the curriculum, teaching and assessment methods. This would be a qualitative study with the aim to enable teaching and particularly assessment that is an active learning experience for the students while acting as a robust quality assessment to ensure patient safety. Alignment with the views of the staff and institution are also key.
The certificate will give me more understanding of the theory and knowledge required to put a curriculum together to support this.
Where will the completion of your research project take you and what are your plans for the future?
"I plan to become a clinical academic in paediatric dentistry, undertaking research and teaching, in addition to my clinical work. This initial project will give me a basis in education research, as well as giving me invaluable experience in planning and delivering research of this kind. As I hopefully progress into more senior positions with greater responsibility, this early experience and formal teaching funded by the RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery will aid me in ensuring that the teaching materials and assessment I design are evidence based as well as both student and patient focused."
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