Responding to PAR-02-144 (""""""""Oral Health Research Curriculum Grants""""""""), we propose an innovative plan to realize our long-term vision to become an institution: (1) in which all its graduates and faculty have a scholarly understanding of the role of science in clinical practice; (2) that regularly and formally evaluates the """"""""state of the science"""""""" in each discipline and systematically disseminates this to its students, faculty, and practitioners; (3) systematically evaluates its effectiveness in incorporating scientific advances into all of its programs; (4) formally expects each of its faculty to be knowledgeable about scientific advances in their field; (5) has an Information Technology core that effectively supports translation of the latest science; and (6) continually provides cutting-edge scientific training and career development to support the other five aspects of the long-term vision. ? We address six specific aims that are designed to help us realize this long-term vision. Following a 12-month needs assessment and Curriculum Improvement Planning process, and after having established Faculty Scholars Clubs, an Academic Career club, an Information Technology Core, and other novel programs, we will implement an invigorating plan to regularly and formally infuse the latest scientific advances into the curriculum, to inculcate students and faculty toward a scholarly understanding of the role of science in clinical practice, and to catalyze a """"""""culture shift"""""""" away from empiricism and toward a scientific, evidence-based approach to clinical practice and population-based improvements in oral health. Faculty Scholars Clubs will assimilate cutting-edge science and determine how best to infuse this into the curriculum. An Information Technology Core will """"""""make it easy"""""""" for faculty to identify and transfer this information into our teaching programs. We will especially involve our scientists in this process, provide programs to turn clinical faculty into clinical scholars, and create an overall environment that is characterized by an excitement for discovery, advancement, and growth in clinical practice. Although evaluation will be ongoing, we will most comprehensively evaluate the objectives of our """"""""UAB Oral Health Research Curriculum Innovation"""""""" program near the close of the grant period. By the end of this period, our School will have a fundamental shift in direction toward scientifically-based clinical practice that will have affected all of our students, residents, part-time and full-time faculty, private practitioners, and their patients. ? ?
