Clare McNally

Clare McNally is an Associate Professor of Oral Health at the Melbourne Dental School, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne. As Academic Lead for Assessment and Evaluation, she leads the development of the school's assessment program for its new curriculum, implementing a programmatic approach and entrustable professional activity framework for final-year students. She coordinates the Bachelor of Oral Health Year 3 (BOH3) and serves as senior dental hygienist in the Oral Medicine Department at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. McNally's qualifications include ADDH, GCHP, GCUT, MPhil (Dentistry), and PhD from the University of Adelaide, where her doctoral research examined the relationship between oral health and systemic health in hospitalised older people.

McNally's research specializations encompass assessment in dental education, curriculum reform, student preparedness for practice, and ePortfolio practices for student well-being. Notable publications include 'ePortfolio practice for student well-being in higher education: a scoping review' (2024), 'Preparedness for practice of newly qualified dental practitioners in the Australian context: an exploratory study' (2022), 'An International Perspective on Curriculum Reform' (2025), and 'Rethinking clinical placements: A response to changing healthcare demands' (2025). In 2022, she was awarded the Dean’s Fellowship for Learning & Teaching Excellence, funding visits to the Universities of North Carolina and Liverpool dental schools to investigate programmatic assessment, entrustable professional activities, and workplace-based assessments. These efforts inform the redevelopment of the Bachelor of Oral Health and Doctor of Dental Surgery curricula, positioning Melbourne Dental School as a global leader in dental education and assessment. She facilitates professional learning through the Assessment Connections series and contributes to international forums on dental education.

Professional Email: mcnallyc@unimelb.edu.au