Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency Program
The Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency Program at the Miami VA Healthcare System (MVAHCS) is a one-year program, accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and the Miami VAHCS is accredited by The Joint Commission Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. The objectives of this program are to provide advanced training in general dentistry, correlate and manage dental care of medically compromised patients, and to gain familiarity with hospital procedures, protocols, and treatment of hospitalized patients.
I. BACKGROUND
The Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency Program at the Miami VAHCS is a one-year program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. The Miami VAHCS is accredited by The Joint Commission Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. The objectives of this program are to provide advanced training in general dentistry, correlate and manage dental care of medically compromised patients, and to gain familiarity with hospital procedures, protocols, and treatment of hospitalized patients. The curriculum is designed to broaden the experience of the general dentist; and to enable the practitioner to extend his or her field of practice to more advanced and challenging procedures beyond the level of pre-doctoral education.
II. BASIC REQUIREMENTS
1. Graduation from an ADA accredited dental school,
2. Proficiency in the English language,
3. United States Citizen,
4. Permanent United States Resident
Decisions regarding the selection of applicants are made without discrimination for reasons of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental handicap, sexual orientation, or gender status.
III. THE MEDICAL CENTER
The Miami VAHCS, with an estimated veteran population of 285,000, serves Veterans in three South Florida counties: Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe. The Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center (Miami VAMC) is located in the Miami Health District. The VA has an attached four –story Community Living Center (Nursing Home). The facility opened in 1968 and provides general medical, surgical, and psychiatric services. It serves as an AIDS/HIV Center, a Prosthetic Treatment Center, Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitative Center, and Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center. The Miami VA is recognized as a Center of Excellence in Spinal Cord Injury Research, Substance Abuse treatment, and Chest Pain treatment.
IV. DENTAL SERVICE
The Dental Service is located on the second floor of the hospital and consists of 21 operatories, a radiology suite, an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery suite, and a dental laboratory. The equipment is modern and is constantly being upgraded as technology advances. The clinic has a Periodontal Laser, Endodontic Microscope, CEREC Prime Scan and an MCXL milling station. In addition, there is a dental operatory located in the Nursing Home Care Unit.
V. TRAINING PROGRAM
Appointment to the Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program begins July 1st. The period of training is for one-year (not less than 50 weeks). During the prescribed course of training the resident is required to attend all scheduled conferences and seminars; present literature reviews case presentations, and be on-call as required. The regular tour of duty is Monday-Friday (7:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.). All residents are required to present an extensive scientific paper at the end of the academic year on a topic agreed upon between the resident and his/her mentor.
VI. GOALS OF THE PROGRAM
The goals of this program include preparation of the resident to:
- Achieve independent clinical ability in all phases of General Dentistry.
- Learn to treatment plan and provide complete dental health care for all patients including medically compromised patients.
- Learn practice management techniques in a health care environment.
- Function effectively and efficiently in a hospital setting working with dental and medical specialists. This includes developing the resident’s familiarity with hospital administration, organization, protocol, and interrelationships between various hospital departments.
- Apply information from literature reviews, lectures, and case presentations to clinical and oral health care.
- Understand the oral health needs of disparate communities and participate in community service.
VII. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A. Emergency Call
Each resident will take call for one week at a time. The resident on call will be assigned a pager. When on call the resident must be available and be able to arrive at the hospital within 30 minutes of being called.
B. Dental Resident Lectures
The resident will be required to prepare a scientific paper on a subject of their choosing and approved by an attending. The paper will be presented at the end of the of the residency year.
C. Literature Review
Literature review is scheduled on a monthly basis. Articles will be assigned for discussion.
D. Lectures
Lectures will be scheduled throughout the year on a wide variety of subjects. Subjects include Oral Surgery, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, Endodontics, Implantology, Medically Compromised Dental Patients, Forensic Odontology, Practice Management, Practice Acquisition, Employment Contracts, TMJD, Ethics, etc.
VIII. STIPEND
Residents' salaries are established annually by the Office of Personnel Management. Currently, the stipend is approximately $64,937 for First Year Residents (PGY-1).
IX. APPLICATIONS
A. This program participates in the Postdoctoral Application Service (PASS)
B. We do not participate in the National Matching Program (MATCH)
C. Application requirements:
1. Curriculum Vitae
2. One passport size color photograph sent directly to the program
3. Current E-mail Address
4. Completed PASS Application
All of the above must be received by September 1st.