Abstract: Objective To explore the need and evaluate the effectiveness for head-simulator in the teaching of stomatology within the eight-year program of clinical medicine. Methods Questionnaire survey was conducted among the students from 2017 cohort of the eight-year program of clinical medicine at Peking Union Medical College. The survey results were statistically analyzed and described. Results Totally 87.9% of the students believed that incorporating head-simulator into the clinical practice course of stomatology were necessary, and 93.9% expressed willingness to join the training. Most students preferred to practice peri-odontal scaling and cavity preparation for caries during the simulated training sessions. The majority of students considered two or four class hours of simulated head teaching to be reasonable. The pilot head simulation training was successfully implemented; 75.0% of the students acknowledged clear teaching and convincible demonstrations. All the trainees agreed that the head simulation course helped them better understand stomatology knowledge, stimulated their interest in learning and expressed a desire for increased head simulation sessions during clinical practice course of stomatology. Additionally, 87.5% of the students preferred head simulation training course to be applied in classic clinical clerkships. Conclusions There is strong demand among students of eight-year program of clinical medicine for incorporating head-simulator into the education of stomatology. The pilot simulation training received positive evaluations. Further exploration is needed to optimize specific scheduling and content arrangement.

Key words: head simulation teaching, clinical medicine, stomatology, teaching reform