Paediatric Dentistry ST4 - Specialty Specific Application Form Questions

These are the UK Specialty Training application form questions used on Oriel for applications to Paediatric Dentistry ST4. These are the application form questions used for posts advertised in January 2025 with a start date from September 2025.

The questions are presented here to help you prepare for your future applications. Please be aware application form structures, questions, word counts, etc. can change and there is no guarantee that future application forms will remain the same. 

Application Form – Self-assessment

2025 Paediatric Dentistry self-assessment

Listed below are the self-assessment questions that appear on the application form along with the possible responses to each question. Your responses to these self-assessment questions will determine your own score. You will need to provide evidence to substantiate your responses via the Self-Assessment portal (which is a different system to Oriel where you make the application); this evidence will be validated by a panel and used to derive your final validated score.  You will be expected to upload evidence after you make an application, timelines will be communicated to you by the lead recruiter for the specialty you have applied to.

Any lack of evidence, or lack of clarity provided by applicants will lead to an amendment of the score. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide clear and unambiguous evidence for the process.

If it is discovered that any response is false or misleading, evidence will be collected, and you may be referred to a Probity Panel.

We reserve the right to use anti-plagiarism software.

Your evidence must be submitted to the Self-Assessment portal. Please refer to the relevant section of the applicant guidance for details of the evidence required.

Please submit a separate PDF file for each of the Self-Assessment questions.  Please note that applicants should upload all evidence for each question, this may include you uploading the same evidence used for a previous question.

Please do not password protect any of your evidence upon upload.

The panel will only be able to assess the evidence you provide via the portal; they will not contact you to request additional evidence. You are therefore requested to provide all evidence in a clear format so that this can easily be identified and assessed.

The recruitment office is not able to advise you about which response you should select for any question. You must select the response you feel you will be able to justify to the panel, using the evidence you provide.  Please note that no evidence can be submitted retrospectively. Evidence should not contain patient identifiable data.

A ‘self-assessment’ topic has been added to the FAQ section on Oriel to assist applicants when filling out certain questions on this form.

*For the purposes of this process, ‘at the proposed time of post commencement’ should be taken as the first Wednesday of September.

**All time periods stated refer to Whole/Full Time Equivalent (WTE) of employment (excluding any periods of statutory leave). Any periods of statutory leave should be evidenced and uploaded to the relevant questions.
If you have worked Less Than Full Time (LTFT) at any period, you will need to provide evidence of the LTFT employment e.g. timetable or job plan for several questions. This evidence can be the same but needs to be uploaded for each question.

Question 1

At the time of application opening (9 January 2025), how many complete quality improvement projects (QIP) / complete audit cycles (i.e. first audit/project, action plan and re-audit/assessment to quantify impact of intervention) have you undertaken in the last 36 months (WTE)* of employment (excluding any periods of statutory leave)?

  • None : 0
  • 1 : 1
  • 2 : 2
  • 3+ : 3


Evidence:

For each QIP/audit please provide a summary (e.g. PowerPoint presentation) including:

  • First QIP/audit 
  • Action plan 
  • Evaluations/re-audit/assessment to quantify impact of intervention, led by yourself.
  • Dates QIP/audit undertaken
  • Please evidence your involvement in each QIP/audit e.g. email acknowledgement of registration of QIP/audit with Clinical Governance team or response from QIP/audit lead.

 

Question 2

Please select the statement that best describes your experience in formal teaching since or during your training in paediatric dentistry.

  • No teaching experience during or since my paediatric dentistry training : 0
  • I have taught undergraduates, postgraduates, or dental care professionals on an occasional basis during or since my paediatric dentistry training (lectures and presentations to your fellow paediatric dentistry trainees as part of your paediatric dentistry programme do not count). • I have engaged in teaching e.g. small group teaching, lectures etc. on fewer than 6 occasions over a 12-month period within the last 36 months (WTE)* : 1
  • Regular teaching for undergraduates, postgraduates, or dental care professionals on a regular basis over a period of approximately 3 months or longer during or since my paediatric dentistry training (lectures and presentations to your fellow paediatric dentistry trainees as part of your paediatric dentistry programme do not count). • I have regularly engaged in teaching e.g. small group teaching, lectures etc. on at least 6 occasions over a 12-month period within the last 36 months (WTE)* : 2
  • I have organised a local teaching programme for undergraduates, postgraduates or dental care professionals and contributed regularly to teaching over a period of approximately 3 months or longer (lectures and presentations to your fellow paediatric dentistry trainees as part of your paediatric dentistry programme do not count) : 3
  • I have worked with local tutors to independently design and organise a teaching programme to enhance locally organised teaching for undergraduates/postgraduates/dental care professionals. I have contributed regularly to teaching over a period of approximately 3 months or longer : 4


Evidence:

Please provide any or a combination of the following evidence:

  • Evidence of formal feedback
  • Letters confirming involvement in a teaching programme
  • Letter confirming attainment of higher qualification
  • Certificates relating to completed training or evidence of registration for a higher qualification in teaching (if applicable)
  • Teaching cancelled due to the pandemic can be included if evidence that you were programmed to do it can be provided

 

Question 3

Please select the statement that best describes your training to date in regard to teaching.

  • I have had no training in teaching methods : 0
  • I have had brief training in teaching methods lasting no more than 2 days or online modules e.g. teach the teachers course. I can provide evidence to demonstrate this : 1
  • I have had substantial training in teaching methods lasting more than 2 days. I can provide evidence to demonstrate this and or I am currently undertaking a course for a higher qualification in teaching and can provide evidence to demonstrate this : 2
  • I have a higher qualification in teaching e.g. PGDip : 3


Evidence:

Please provide any or a combination of the following evidence:

  • Evidence of formal feedback
  • Letters confirming involvement in a teaching programme
  • Letter confirming attainment of higher qualification
  • Certificates relating to completed training or evidence of registration for a higher qualification in teaching (if applicable)

 

Question 4

Have you achieved any academic publications as a postgraduate relevant to paediatric dentistry within the last 60 months (WTE) prior to 9 January 2025? This excludes published abstracts.

Select the highest scoring option applicable.

  • None : 0
  • Letter, book review, audit report (e.g. in BSPD Clinical Effectiveness Bulletin) or non-peer reviewed article (including e-publications), as a co-author i.e. not first author, relevant to Paediatric Dentistry : 1
  • I have published one or more case report, abstract, letter, audit report (e.g. in BSPD Clinical Effectiveness Bulletin) or non-peer reviewed articles (including e-publications), as a first author, relevant to Paediatric Dentistry : 2
  • Article (other than audit) from studies e.g. RCT or systematic review to peer-reviewed journals, as a first or co-author : 3
  • Article (other than audit) of a study e.g. RCT or systematic review in a peer reviewed journal, as a first or last author : 4


Evidence:

  • For each publication, please include a screenshot or pdf copy of the publication or the acceptance letter from the relevant journal
  • Do not include publication of a poster or an oral presentation abstract as they will not be counted as evidence.
  • Publications must be clearly relevant to Paediatric Dentistry.  

  

Question 5

At the time of application opening (9 January 2025), have you given a local (within working environment), regional (deanery or NHS region), national (UK wide) or international (international/continent society meeting) oral presentation relevant to paediatric dentistry within the last 36 months

Select the highest scoring option applicable.

  • None : 0
  • Local : 1
  • Regional : 2
  • National : 4
  • International conference e.g. IAPD, EAPD, IADR : 6


Evidence:

  • Please provide a copy of the relevant page of the meeting programme/s naming you as a presenter.
  • This can include cancelled events (due to the pandemic) at which you have been invited to speak.  Please provide speaker programme as evidence.

 

Question 6

At the time of application opening (9 January 2025), have you given any local (within working environment) / regional (deanery or NHS region) / national (UK wide) / international (international/continent society meeting) poster presentations within the last 36 months?

Select the highest scoring option applicable.

  • None : 0
  • Local : 1
  • Regional : 2
  • National : 3
  • International conference e.g. IAPD, EAPD, IADR : 4


Evidence:

  • Please provide a copy of the relevant page of the meeting programme(s) naming you as a presenter
  • This can include cancelled events (due to the pandemic) at which you have been invited to present a poster.  Please provide presenter programme as evidence.

 

Question 7

Please indicate by choosing one of the options below, evidence of commitment to the specialty you are applying for, over the last 24 months (WTE) prior to application opening (9 January 2025).

Select the highest scoring option applicable

  • No evidence : 0
  • Membership of specialist society : 2
  • Attendance at a national specialist society meeting : 4
  • Membership of specialist society and attendance at a national specialist society meeting : 5


Evidence:

  • Proof of attendance at meeting conferences
  • Proof of membership of specialty society

 

Question 8

At the time of application opening (9 January 2025) what management and leadership experience/formal training have you had since or during your training in paediatric dentistry?

  • No evidence : 0
  • Leadership outside of dentistry (e.g. charity/scouting/guide events, expedition leadership) during or since my paediatric dentistry training • Completion of a NHS leadership/management course e.g. Edward Jenner : 1
  • Leadership role during or since my paediatric dentistry training local trainee representation : 2
  • Completion of a NHS leadership/management course and a leadership role : 3


Evidence:

  • Proof of leadership role validated by senior clinician or employer
  • Evidence of course attendance or certificate of completion