What We Are Solving with Our Dental Scheduling Software
All students have all necessary experience
Student experiences are equitable, in cases where there may be some variation
Clinics are appropriately staffed
Rooms are appropriately allocated, including taking other programs and special events into account
D1 & D2 (years 1 & 2)
The first two years of training are highly structured. Students go through lectures, labs, etc. with a group of students in their section. The sections form a hierarchy, and the number of students who can be accommodated by an experience determines the appropriate section to schedule.
For this section-based didactic schedule, the primary concerns are that sub-sections are not double-booked (e.g. small section A1A has an experience at the same time that large section A has a lecture, since the same students are in both, this situation would be a problem); that all atomic sections (the smallest unit) receive the same set of experiences as the other sections; and that the experiences have the necessary room allocations.
D2, section B5A1 schedule
D3 & D4 (years 3 & 4)
The second two years, D3 and D4, are more complicated because a series of clinic experiences are layered over the didactic schedule. There is still a significant amount of didactic coursework that is scheduled on a section level, but the clinical experiences are scheduled on a per-student level, because not too many students can be absent from the atomic sections at the same time.
For D3 and D4, the concern is to minimize overlaps between the clinic experiences and the didactic experiences. However, overlaps are sometimes inevitable, and so it is important for the system to understand what overlaps are acceptable; which are to be avoided but are acceptable in a pinch; and which are unacceptable. A series of preemption information dictates this logic.
The preemption information indicates whether one course can preempt (take precedence over) another course’s experience; and whether the other course will accept being preempted (having students pulled out of an experience). The overlap analysis for D3 and D4 takes the individual-level assignments into account, and gives the user visibility into the preemption acceptability level. Aurora can allocate students to clinical experiences, taking these preemption relationships into account in order to satisfy staffing and experience requirements while minimizing preeptions.
Because the final schedule must be communicated to a large range of people, NYU’s version of Aurora offers a variety of export capabilities, including:
- Student rosters
- Course-level schedules
- Clinic availabilities.
- Student-level schedules
D4 student schedule; double-booking reflects preemption situation (most supplemental experience clinics are scheduled over General Clinic).
Stottler Henke has teamed with Above PAR Advisors (APA) to drive the success and maximize the value proposition of this implementation. Also see the APA’s Stottler Henke Partner page.
Efficient Scheduling Solutions for Dental Resident Training
Room schedule (lecture hall)
Course schedule
The Daily Plot allows the user to view the events that are occurring in a calendar-style view. The user can easily filter the plot by year, course, student, or room, or can define a more complicated filter criteria. This example shows the D1 schedule for one week.
Aurora-DentalResident: Transforming Scheduling for NYU College of Dentistry
Aurora-DentalResident is an advanced, intelligent scheduling tool designed to optimize student education scheduling for dental schools. New York University College of Dentistry uses Aurora-DentalResident to schedule their DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) students through four years of training. As the largest dental school in the United States, NYU serves a student body that fluctuates between 1,500 active DDS students at any given time. With each incoming class numbering 375-400 students, the institution faces the challenge of organizing clinical rotations, academic courses, and other activities across multiple years of dental education. This is where Aurora-DentalResident plays a crucial role, offering a streamlined, automated approach to scheduling that makes the process more efficient, less time-consuming, and ultimately more effective.
The Challenge of Scheduling at Scale
Managing the schedules of dental students at a large institution like NYU College of Dentistry requires a high level of precision and flexibility. With students rotating through various clinical departments, participating in lectures, attending lab sessions, and engaging in research, the scheduling process is inherently complex. Moreover, the academic and clinical calendars must align with student progress and specific training requirements.
Given that NYU’s student body is one of the largest in the U.S., manual scheduling or even traditional scheduling software often becomes cumbersome and inefficient. As a result, conflicts are common, and adjustments are necessary. The complexity is compounded by the fact that dental students must complete a set of specific requirements during their four years of study. This is where dental school scheduling software like Aurora-DentalResident becomes essential—offering a more sophisticated and efficient approach to managing these complexities.
How Aurora-DentalResident Makes a Difference
Aurora-DentalResident is purpose-built to solve these types of challenges. The software’s intelligent scheduling engine is designed to automate and simplify the management of student rotations, academic schedules, and other programmatic activities. With this system in place, NYU College of Dentistry can efficiently manage schedules for over 1,500 students across multiple years of education. The software’s ability to adapt to the needs of large-scale educational programs allows it to not only streamline administrative processes but also improve the overall learning experience for students.
A major advantage of Aurora-DentalResident is its use of smart algorithms that automatically consider a variety of factors when generating schedules. The software can take into account each student’s academic progression, rotation requirements, and even personal preferences, ensuring that the resulting schedule is both feasible and personalized. For instance, a student who may prefer morning shifts or who needs to complete specific clinical rotations at particular times can have those preferences built into the algorithm, making the scheduling process more tailored and less stressful.
The software also features robust customization options that allow NYU’s administrative team to configure the system based on the specific needs of their curriculum. Whether it’s accounting for limited clinic space, scheduling faculty rotations, or ensuring that students meet specific accreditation requirements, Aurora-DentalResident offers flexibility to handle these nuances.
Key Features and Benefits for Dental Schools
- Efficient Use of Resources: One of the most challenging aspects of scheduling at a large institution is ensuring the efficient use of resources, including faculty time, clinic space, and student availability. Aurora-DentalResident’s ability to optimize these resources avoids overbooking clinics, ensures that faculty time is maximized, and reduces scheduling conflicts for students.
- Scalability for Large Institutions: Aurora-DentalResident is designed to accommodate growing student populations, handling the complexities of rotating schedules for hundreds of students. Its architecture allows it to scale effortlessly as the school adds more students, courses, and clinical rotations.
- Time Savings for Faculty and Administrators: Manual scheduling is not only time-consuming but also prone to human error. Aurora-DentalResident automates much of the process, saving faculty and administrative staff countless hours that would otherwise be spent on administrative tasks. In turn, this time savings can be reinvested into student support, curriculum development, and other critical areas of the program.
- Data-Driven Insights and Reporting: The software’s robust reporting and analytics features offer valuable insights into the scheduling process. By tracking trends and identifying scheduling bottlenecks or inefficiencies, administrators can make informed decisions to improve the overall flow of the program, ensuring that students receive the training they need without unnecessary delays.
- Seamless Integration with Other Systems: Aurora-DentalResident integrates with other platforms, such as student management systems and clinical databases. This seamless integration ensures that all student and faculty data remain synchronized, reducing duplication and ensuring the accuracy of scheduling information across multiple platforms.
Why Aurora-DentalResident Is Essential for Large Dental Schools
As dental schools like NYU continue to grow and adapt to changing educational demands, the need for sophisticated, intelligent scheduling software becomes more pressing. Aurora-DentalResident’s ability to automate and streamline scheduling processes provides a much-needed solution to the logistical challenges of dental education.
For institutions looking for dental school scheduling software, Aurora-DentalResident offers a comprehensive platform that combines intelligent automation, flexibility, and scalability to meet the complex needs of dental training programs. With features designed to support large-scale institutions, this software enables dental schools to manage the intricate scheduling of students through all four years of their DDS program. The result is a more efficient, personalized, and effective scheduling system that benefits both students and administrative staff, ensuring that the focus remains where it belongs—on providing the best education possible for future dentists.
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