The fact that someone took the time to do such research among the different dental schools says a great deal. It sends a message that there are people out there that care about the way schools conduct their curriculum. I felt like the research was fair and the students felt like they were being listened to and their opinions mattered.
It was an eye opener to see how many students had the same experiences on what were the strengths and the weaknesses of their curriculum. The article mentioned that most of the students felt like the best instructors were the ones that were straight forward with what was expected form each student. I completely agree, I feel like students are like little children who need guidance and structure. They look up to their instructors for this and feel lost and disappointed when things are disorganized.
The article mentioned that the clinical "hands on" experience was the most valued strength for the students and was also for me. The hands on experience is best way for me to learn, I feel the more time we get working on patients the better. Most of my instructors had passion for what they were teaching and it showed. They seemed organized and were available when we needed them.
Poor teaching methods and lack of communication between clinical faculty was a weakness for the our hygiene program but not on a regular basis. There was one faculty member who had horrible teaching methods. We always wondered where she was getting her information because you could not find it in the book. She was released of her duties the second year into our program.
As for opportunities I feel like our school did a nice job giving us a variety of different experiences outside school setting. I think for a two year program we received an adequate amount of time with patients.
The dental students in the article felt like the schools we requirement driven, in which I also agree. I remember students being really stressed out because they had not seen enough patients or had not gotten enough procedures done. I have mixed feeling about requirements, I feel like if we did not have these expectations then students would take advantage of the situation. I look at it as motivation for us to get the experience we need to make out in the real world.
The role for instructors I feel is to be passionate about what you are doing. I feel they need to be available when needed and take us under their wing. I think it is important to remember that we look up to them and are taking everything in that is going to make us a better professional. They need to remember that they are not going to please everyone no matter what you do, but if you love your job it is going to show.

May 2007, Journal of Dental Education