On 24 and 25 February 2023, the Australian Dental Council hosted its Assessor, Examiner and Item Writer Conference with more than 110 delegates.
Attendees had the opportunity to engage with a stimulating program of sessions across the two-day event, with keynote presentations given by Professor Maree O’Keefe on outcomes-based accreditation and Professor Mark Gierl on automatic item generation for content development. Other sessions focused on understanding and evaluating the impact of dental program accreditation, management of incidents in standardised examination delivery and the revised Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner. All sessions promoted robust discussion and it was great to see such strong engagement from delegates throughout the event.
A highlight of the program was the keynote address for all attendees given by Ms Donna Murray, CEO of Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA), who spoke on the impacts of racism and cultural safety in healthcare and the critical need for provision of culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
It was wonderful to be able to bring together many of our Assessors, Examiners and Item Writers in person after being unable to meet during the past few years. The conference provided attendees with great opportunities to establish new professional connections and discuss important topics relevant to our work and the dental profession more broadly.
Speaking about the event, Associate Professor Deborah Cockrell, Chair of the Accreditation Committee, tells how “the highlight was the so many dedicated, expert and respected colleagues committed to enhancing everything the ADC does.” Dr Felicia Valianatos, Chair of the Assessment Committee also reflected on “the incredible energy and participation in the conference rooms and the hallways that connected dental professionals, and allowed for important discussions about the ADC’s pathways to safe and quality dental care home and away”.
Their feedback was echoed by the reflections and comments of many other delegates.
