Committee for Continuing Education in Dentistry

The Postgraduate Committee in Dental Science started as a Sub-Committee of the Faculty of Dentistry. On 10 October 1946 a Sub-Committee recommended to the Faculty that post-graduate courses in dentistry commencing in 1947 be established; the courses to be held during the University vacation periods and that the courses be available to all registered dentists. That a Sub-Committee be appointed to manage these classes and that the duties be o publicise the courses; seek information from graduates as to the courses desired; recommend to the Faculty the appointment of lecturers and the remuneration to be paid for their services; recommend the fees to be charged for the services; arrange details with the University authorities concerning incidental running costs etc.; carry out other duties as allocated by the Faculty. The Committee's report and its recommendations were accepted and a Sub-Committee to conduct these courses was appointed.

Minutes of the Sub-committee start in 1948. The first course, Orthodontics, commenced in September 1948. 

At its meeting on 4 August 1948 the Faculty resolved that the Sub-committee be known as 'The Postgraduate Committee in Dental Science, University of Sydney' and that the previous decisions by the Sub-Committee be endorsed. The Committee became responsible for arranging and providing continuous education courses in dentistry on behalf of the Faculty. The Committee is first listed in the 1967 Calendar as a Committee established for the promotion of postgraduate education, study and research in dental science. 

At its meeting on 19 October 1990 the Faculty of Dentistry, on the recommendation of the Committee, resolved that the Faculty resolution concerning the Committee be amended to change the title of the Committee to the Committee for Continuing Education in Dentistry. (item 10 of minutes). The name change took effect from 1 January 1991. 

The old name had a lack of obvious association in the mind of many with continuous education and there was also some confusion between this Committee and the Board of Postgraduate Studies.

In 2020 Continuing Education in Dentistry at the University of Sydney still provided Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses. The courses were recognised as compliant with the Dental Board of Australia's definition of clinical or scientific CPD activities. The dental CPD courses were not higher education or degree courses as defined by the Australian Qualifications Framework. All the CPD programs were administrated by academics from within the Sydney Dental School and supplemented by speakers in private practice both locally and internationally. (viewed 2/3/2020 at  https://sydney.edu.au/medicine-health/study-medicine-and-health/professional-development-and-short-courses/dentistry/about-us.html)