From microscope to masterpiece: Validating the role of artistic competition in enhancing dental students' engagement in histological study

Background/purpose: Our previous study found that the integration of arts into the dental education through an innovative photomicrograph competition can increase the dental students' interests in learning microscopic lessons. This study aimed to validate whether the same photomicrograph competition still had its effectiveness to promote the students' interests in learning microscopic lessons. Materials and methods: A photomicrograph competition was organized for the 477 dental students. The students captured artistic images from the oral histology and oral pathology slides. The entries were evaluated through a peer vote. A post-competition survey was performed to assess the students' perceptions of the activity's impact on their learning interest, satisfaction, and views on the potentially broader implementation. Results: The photomicrograph competition gathered a 29 % overall participation rate, with the highest engagement from the third-year (66 %) and second-year (50 %) dental students. Of the participants, 73 % reported an increase in interest in the microscopic lessons, 78 % expressed satisfaction with the photomicrograph competition activity, and 80 % supported its annual continuation. Furthermore, 68 % of the students believed the photomicrograph competition could be adopted by all dental schools in Taiwan. Conclusion: This study confirms the effectiveness of integrating arts into the dental education through the photomicrograph competitions. The consistent positive outcomes over time suggest the long-term viability and benefits of this approach in improving the students’ histological studies, particularly among the second-year and third-year dental students. A strong support for the continued and broader implementation indicates a high potential for the incorporation of photomicrograph competitions in the dental curricula.