Zakariasen named to dental school post

by Susan Griffith

It takes more than technical skills for a dentist to get people to understand and practice good oral health habits. Part of Kristin Zakariasen's new job at CWRU's School of Dentistry is to integrate the teaching of those people skills, professionalism, and ethics into the curriculum.

"Great technical skills are absolutely necessary, but soft skills like showing empathy and listening to people are also vital to being an outstanding practitioner," says Zakariasen, who is now director of curriculum evaluation and assessment and senior instructor in community dentistry at the dental school.

Unfortunately, the skills cannot be learned by simply reading a textbook, but CWRU's first-year dental students have opportunities for real experiences this semester through the sealant program in the Cleveland Public Schools. Working with schoolchildren early in their training will expose the students to the human side of dentistry and help them to begin thinking about the interpersonal communication skills needed in the dentist-patient relationship.

While many dentists focus on specializing in a particular aspect of dentistry, Zakariasen wanted to seek a broader picture of dentistry. She earned her B.Sc. and D.D.S. degrees from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She practiced for several years in Halifax until she decided to return to school, and in 1997 entered the Ph.D. program in organizational behavior at CWRU's Weatherhead School of Management.

Zakariasen says the study of organizational behavior fascinates her, with its practical application of psychology, sociology, and education at the intersection of where humans and organizations meet. All these areas are woven into the dentist-patient relationship, she adds.

Changing habits is no easy task. According to Zakariasen, "If students are able to practice behaviors in a safe environment, they are more likely to change."

She plans on giving students plenty of opportunities to integrate patient-friendly skills into their dentistry work. She envisions videotaping students with patients, and then having the students watch how they manage the work situation and their interactions with the patient. She also wants to emphasize role-modeling behaviors and learning from faculty members in the clinical setting.

Since arriving at CWRU, she has experienced being a student, staff, and faculty member. She has taught managerial assessment and development in Weatherhead's M.B.A. program and in July moved from being director of curriculum administration at the School of Medicine to her new job at the dental school.

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