Pre‐doctoral special healthcare needs education: Lost in a crowded curriculum

We explored academicians’ experiences with pre‐doctoral special healthcare needs (SHCN) education using one‐on‐one interviews with academic leaders. We assessed their personal experience with SHCN, the current state of SHCN education at their institution, and their opinions about SHCN education in the pre‐doctoral curriculum. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a qualitative descriptive framework to identify emerging themes. Twelve faculty members were interviewed from 10 institutions. All participants acknowledged that the bulk of their training and experience treating patients with SHCN occurred during residency. Participants identified inconsistent pre‐doctoral SHCN curricular experiences attributed to time constraints imposed by an increasingly crowded curriculum. Questions remain regarding the place of SHCN education in future pre‐doctoral curricula, as well as how to create sustainable systems and programs for dental graduates to gain this experience.