after dental school

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I'm going to do an AEGD with the Air Force if I fail to get OMFS straight out of school. It's nice because I'll still get paid 75K to do one, but honestly I think GPR's, Adv. Ed. programs are pretty much worth their weight in gold.

I know I'm with you in terms of wanting to get out and start making some real cash and I think if you get into an associate position where you feel comfortable asking other more seasoned dentists their advice then I would consider not doing one.

I'm sure there are plenty of dentists that start working straight out of dental school. My father and grandfather are two such people. It's true, you don't know what you don't know...but you'll learn a lot on your own. They don't call it a dental "practice" for nothing.

 

I believe it is between a quarter to a third of all dental graduates do a GPR or an AEGD.

 

Sure they do and they schedule them at 1 O'clock with Mrs. Krinkleman who who is coming in for her denture adjust...what's the ADA code for fixing that poorly made denture for the 3rd time...? Then of course you can do the prophies and the operative. Maybe you get a crown now and then. Of course, they hire GPR grads to do the exact same things they hire new grads to do even though GPR grads know how to do more and faster than a new grad, but that's an apples to orange comparison... A dentist will hire anyone he/she thinks will make the practice money or make their life easier.

 

Once you graduate you need to start making business decisions, the first decision is if you should do a GPR/AEGD or go in to practice. This decision can be guided by two things---if you can make money without doing a gpr or if you can sacrafice some initial money by learning a new skill you would not have learned.

The only way I would do a GPR/AEGD is if it taught me to do implants and wizzies. Otherwise, you are a low paid dentist. I started an aegd that was not a learning experience and lost a lot of money b/c of it. If you learn to take out wizzies or place implants during your resiency then you will have experience to do that once you are done.

 

I'm not sure if all the Air Force AEGDs are the same, but if it's anything like the one at Travis AFB, I would definitely reconsider. As part of my GPR, we sometimes attend lectures at Travis with the AEGD residents there. I think I would shoot myself if I had to do the stuff they do. It's really like a 5th year of dental school for them. The lectures are they same kind of stuff you learn in preclin dental school. They have to do homework, presentations, and take tests all the time.

 

Thanks for the diff perspective. I'll be sure to get all the facts.

 

For whatever odd reason, about 2/3 of seniors at my program (maybe more) are applying to GPR/AEGD this year. Previous years were not that high, maybe have to do with growing number of new programs out there, or maybe a lot of the students are from states like NY (1 yr GPR/AEGD requiring state).

I think in the future, more states will join the "1 yr training a mandatory requirement" after you graduate to practice dentistry.

 

The choice is yours. Every students needs differ, every program differs.

A post graduate year - AEGD or GPR etc
can take the presure off of you to pass boards immediately.
can be a time to decide where you want to practice
can help if you may seek speciality train - make up your mind and help your CV
can help you be more efficient, more experience in pt contact, more knowledge of different procedure, expose you to medically compromised, special needs pts, the after hours emergencies....

I can go on and on... listen to the recent residents, visit some programs, attend a residency fair or meetings at your school.

I would be happy to answer any questions.

 

This post is a great example of how subjective this decision is, and why it's one you have to make for yourself. A good GPR will provide you with a ton of educational value, but no two people have identical interests or skill sets walking out of dental school. I did a VA GPR and loved it, but the same program might not have helped you out at all. On balance, I'm strongly in favor of postdoctorate training for dentists, but you have to do your homework and choose a good program to gain the benefits residency offers.

 

A properly run GPR/AEGD would be priceless.....someone mentioned the "need" to gain experience with 3rds and implants. I would add the need to gain as much experience as possible with endo. Make sure you properly investigate the program you are interested in. DO NOT take the word of staff or the residency director. Ask the residents EXACTLY how many RCT's they do/have done. How many 3rds they remove-not how many days they spend on OS rotation(otherwise you may well end up sucking spit for the OS resident). How many implants they place(again not how many surgeries you "participate in"). Do not fall for vague answers from a used car salesman residency director.....Ask to see the residents schedule for yourself. See exactly how much time they are required to do "non productive" things such as exam room/fillings/nightguards and other stuff the staff and prosth guys don't want to do.
Finally, if after several months of working at your residency you find yourself with your schedule booked out for 2-3 months with fillings and nightguards and very little "advanced" procedures-GET OUT. You have worked and spent far to much to have your time wasted. Don't waste more time and money trying to be the nice guy.
Now if you are POSITIVE you are going to receive the training YOU would like and need then by all means do it.....

 

My roommate attended UCSF AEGD and quit after six months. He said it was a waste of time and he learned more working a month at Western Dental. I worked as an associate for 3 months right out of school and then opened my own practice. The only thing I wish I have more experience of in dental school is surgical extraction, removing broken endo files, and clearing calcified canals. If AEGD/GPR don't teach that then it's not worth it.