Dentistry,  Socialized Dentistry

University Pays Dental Students to Stay Away: Redux

The Evening Telegraph has Dental school crisis: Kerr to intervene, Health Minister Andy Kerr today pledged his urgent intervention in the over-subscription crisis at Dundee University’s dental school.

Visiting Angus, Mr Kerr said he would be speaking to the country’s chief dental officer, Ray Watkins, who yesterday met with the dean of the university’s School of Dentistry to discuss the problem which has led to would-be students being offered £2000 to delay the start of their dental course for a year.

The situation has arisen after a surge in demand for dental school places led to a rise in applications for the soon to start academic year of 40%, and a course acceptance jump of 30%.

Following the city meeting, Mr Watkins said he would be reporting his findings to Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald, and Mr Kerr said today he too would be looking at the issue, but not solely in the context of the immediate-term Dundee debacle.

“We need to reflect on the conversations we had yesterday and I will be speaking to the chief dental officer,” said Mr Kerr.

“The key issue is what to do about the over-subscription, but this is not just about university places.

“These are complicated things and we need to work through all the implications, as well as the funding issues,” added Mr Kerr.

“It is in our interests that we have dentistry students trained here in Scotland but let us work it through and we will deal with the situation.

“We don’t want to go into this not knowing the consequences, and that’s why I want to respond properly once I have gone through this.

“I will be dealing with it as a matter of urgency of course, but we need to look at the whole situation,” Mr Kerr said.

Flap previously had University Pays Dental Students to Stay Away.

No real solutions here.

The health bureaucrats have agreed to talk.

How about some privitization? Or Educational Vouchers so that these students could be accomodated at other schools in the U.K.?

Nahhhh……this solution is too simple.

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