October 2010 Supplement ■ Journal of Dental Education S17 Chapter 2 Infrastructure for a Community-Based Dental Education Program: Students and Clinics Ana Karina Mascarenhas, B.D.S., M.P.H., Dr.P.H.; Michelle Henshaw, D.D.S., M.P.H. Abstract: The infrastructure of a community-based dental education program is important to its success. Thorough preparation of students for the community experience and careful selection of community clinical sites are indispensable. Student training in cultural competence, early community exposure, third-year clinical training, assignment of students to rotations, transporta- tion, and housing all need careful attention. When selecting sites for the community rotation, it is important to have detailed site criteria or a wish list, a memorandum of understanding, and awareness of legal liability issues. Dr. Mascarenhas is currently Professor, Associate Dean for Research, and Chief of Primary Care, Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, although she did the work on this article while at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine as Professor, Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, and Director of the Division of Dental Public Health; Dr. Henshaw is Professor, Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, and Assistant Dean for Community Partnership and Extramural Affairs, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Direct correspondence and requests for reprints to Dr. Ana Karina Mascarenhas, Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, 3200 South University Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328-2018; 954-262-3315 phone; 954-262-3238 fax; AnaKarina.Mascarenhas@nova.edu. Keywords: community-based dental education, cultural competence, site selection, dental students T his chapter addresses program infrastructure for an effective community-based dental education (CBDE) program. Having the cor- rect infrastructure enhances the students’ learning and their community-based education experience and maximizes resources. The chapter addresses CBDE infrastructure as it pertains to students and clinics. The irst section of the chapter discusses student preparation for the community experience; the second section discusses the selection of com- munity sites. Student Preparation for Community Experience Student preparation is essential to maximize students’ learning from their community-based educational experiences. This preparation, which is the responsibility of the school, ensures that the stu- dents have the proper skill set and a comprehensive orientation to extramural rotations. This foundation goes well beyond the technical skills of dentistry and should include, at the minimum, cultural competence skills and a basic understanding of the components of the dental health care delivery systems. Ideally, the preparation includes experience in clinic environ- ments other than the dental school’s clinics prior to the clinical rotation. Early Community Clinic/Practice Rotations One of the benefits of a community-based rotation is that it gives students the opportunity to experience a segment of the dental care delivery system different from what they have encountered in dental school. Exposure to these settings before the students serve as the clinical provider can facilitate an understanding of the environment, the population served, and the usual services that the student will provide. These early experiences also help to ease the transition from serving as a provider in a dental school setting—where the primary focus is educa- tion and training—to the new practice, whether that is a dental clinic within a community health center, a veterans’ medical center, a nursing home, or another setting where the primary focus is patient care. These early rotations also help the student understand the differences between a patient care environment where the student might be expected to treat two or three pa-