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The following policies describe the behaviors expected of dental students, faculty and staff in the learning environment. The WLHSDM, as a component of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, is committed to equal educational opportunity and nondiscrimination consistent with HSCEP OP 77.01 and HSCEP OP 77.14. Please see the current version of the TTUHSC El Paso Institutional Student Handbook: Code of Professional and Academic Conduct available at: https://elpaso.ttuhsc.edu/studentservices/institutional-handbooks.aspx
The WLHSDM dental students, faculty and staff are expected to consistently exhibit the following attributes:
Professionalism is a core competency of the WLHSDM, and one that is taken extremely serious within all activities pertaining directly to the school, TTUHSC El Paso and externally in community practices. Adherence to the following Standards of Professional Conduct is expected of all members of the WLHSDM community:
- Demonstrate courtesy and respect to faculty, staff, patients, and other students in all interactions;
- Demonstrate the capacity to use ethical principles consistent with that of a health care professional;
- Demonstrate the qualities of empathy, compassion, and altruism;
- Demonstrate honesty and the ability to meet obligations;
- Demonstrate the ability to reflect, self-assess, and to receive and incorporate constructive feedback;
- Identify the strengths and limitations of one’s knowledge and skills, as well as the attitudes that promote continual personal and professional development.
- Demonstrate adherence to the stated dress code and other policies of the WLHSDM and of TTUHSC El Paso.
The following actions are non-exhaustive examples of violations of professional behavior:
- False claims of attendance at assigned events;
- Alteration of documents related to any activity at the WLHSDM or TTUHSC El Paso;
- Participation in the sharing, posting, copying, or any other use examination questions.
Depending on the nature of the problem and as determined by the course director, failure to act professionally in any course or clinical activity may result in a grade of Fail, regardless of the student’s performance in other aspects of the course or clinical activity, and the student will be referred to the Committee on Academic Performance and Standards. Violations of professionalism could result in expulsion from the WLHSDM.
Values within Professionalism
- Competence: Acquiring and maintaining the high level of special knowledge, technical ability, and professional behavior necessary for the provision of clinical care to patients and for effective functioning in the dental education environment.
- Student reflects on performance, strives to improve, and sets high standards for themselves.
- Fairness: Demonstrating consistency and even-handedness in dealings with others.
- Student gives best effort, consistently evaluates themselves, and acts without prejudice.
- Integrity & Honesty: Being honest and demonstrating congruence between one’s values, words, and actions.
- Student puts patient’s interest first, presents all options to patients, credits source, acts without cheating, and declares any conflict of interest.
- Responsibility: Being accountable for one’s actions and recognizing and acting upon the special obligations to others that one assumes in joining a profession.
- Student attends all required course and clinical experiences, promptly. Student engages in evidence-based care and in self-learning. Student is dependable, gives prompt notice if unable to be present as well as follows care and use of equipment as directed. Student is available or arranges for care (including emergent care) and directs and delivers patient care in timely manner. Student should also admit their mistakes and work on correcting them. Student should also not work while under the influence.
- Respect: Honoring the worth of others.
- Within patient care, student must maintain confidentiality, protects from harm, and offers choices. Student acts within accepted standards of respecting choices, is slow to judge as facts should be gathered first. Student must act without discrimination, prejudice or harassment.
- Service-Mindedness: Acting for the benefit of the patients and the public we serve and approaching those served with compassion.
- Student participates in professional activities, volunteers for community service programs, and seeks to generate new knowledge.
Violations
The occurrence, either intentional or unintentional, of any incident that violates these statements results in a disruption of the spirit of learning and a breach in the integrity and trust between WLHSDM and the student. Further, the WLHSDM has a policy of zero tolerance for any type of discrimination or harassment. A student who feels that they have been the object of inappropriate behavior on the part of a faculty member, a resident, a staff person, or another student, shall report such behavior in a timely fashion to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.
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