VOLUNTEER PATIENT PROGRAM FOR
ENHANCING DENTAL STUDENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Are you interested in helping to educate our future dentists?

Would you like to help dental students to learn how to communicate well with patients?

Click on the links below to find out more information

• What is the Volunteer Patient Program?
• Who can be a Volunteer Patient?
• What is involved if I become a Volunteer Patient?
• How do I become a Volunteer Patient?
• FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS THE VOLUNTEER PATIENT PROGRAM?

The Volunteer Patient Program involves members of the public helping 2nd and 3rd year dental students learn how to communicate well with patients. The program is part of the communication skills course in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree.

Good communication skills are an important part of being a good dentist. Dentists need to be able to communicate well with their patients for many reasons, such as:

• when they need to ask patients questions about their dental and oral health
• when they explain to patients the results of an examination or about possible treatment
• when they educate patients about how to care for their own dental and oral health
• and when they need to reassure patients who are anxious about dental treatment

Therefore, Volunteer Patients can provide a valuable service for our dental students. As a volunteer, you help to prepare our students to eventually interact with real dental patients. We are seeking interested members of the public to participate in communication role-plays with dental students.

A communication role-play involves a dental student asking a Volunteer Patient a series of questions, or pretending to teach a Volunteer Patient about oral health, or pretending to assist a Volunteer Patient to cope with dental anxiety. The Volunteer Patient is provided with some guidelines for how to respond, and the teaching sessions are supervised by staff who provide guidance for students during the role-play. Volunteer Patients are also welcome to talk to the students about their ‘patient experience’.

No dental treatment is involved.
No acting experience is required.
No personal details are necessary.

WHO CAN BE A VOLUNTEER PATIENT?

Anyone who is interested in helping dental students learn communication skills can be a Volunteer Patient.
We would like you to help us provide a wide variety of role play patients for our students. We welcome volunteers of all ages and backgrounds (e. g. education, culture/ethnicity, work experience), who speak various languages, not just English, and who may be able-bodied or have a disability. People with natural teeth and people with dentures are welcome to volunteer.
The greater the variety of volunteer patients, the more experience our students can have.

WHAT IS INVOLVED IF I BECOME A VOLUNTEER PATIENT?

You can be a Volunteer Patient for just this year or you may choose to be a Volunteer Patient on a yearly basis, according to your preference and availability. In the year(s) that you volunteer, you will need to come to the Dental School for training and teaching sessions.

Training sessions:
There will be a training session provided and we ask that all Volunteer Patients attend this session. At this session we will provide information about the program, demonstrate Volunteer Patients in action, show a training video, and answer any questions you have. You will have the opportunity to do a practice Volunteer Patient role-play.

Teaching sessions:
There will be three Volunteer Patient teaching sessions in both 2nd and 3rd year of the BDS. You can choose to participate in 2nd and/or 3rd year sessions, and choose to attend one or all three, depending on your available time.

Each teaching session will run for two hours. Each Volunteer Patient will work in a tutorial room with a small group of about 6 students and their tutor. Volunteer Patients will have a rest break mid-way through the session.

We will video your student interacting with you so that the student can review the video of their performance (the video will be confidential). The focus of the video will be the student and how they communicate with you.

Refreshments:
Refreshments (morning or afternoon tea) will be provided for Volunteer Patients at every session.

Transport/Parking:
We will reimburse you for public transport travel and/or your parking expenses for each time you volunteer, during training and teaching sessions.

HOW DO I BECOME A VOLUNTEER PATIENT?

If you would like more information or would like to register your interest, please contact our Volunteer Patient administrative officer, Ms Karen Squires (Mon-Fri) or our Volunteer Patient coordinator, Dr Vicki Skinner (Mon-Wed).

Ms Karen Squires
Phone: 08 8303 5968 (Mon-Fri 9.00am-4.00pm)
Email: karen.squires@adelaide.edu.au

Dr Vicki Skinner
Phone: 8303 4229 (Mon-Wed 9.00am-5.00pm)
Email: vicki.skinner@adelaide.edu.au