Are you a clinically strong school?

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Are you a clinically strong school? If so, what are you doing differently from a school that is not clinically strong?

 

[Hawkteeth]

Spending more time in the clinic?

 

[Noble6]

Large patient pool (ie big metropolitan area), no grad programs are a few things that would make a school strong clinically.

 

[KittySquared]

ASDOH and Creighton come to mind - no specialty programs.

 

[Dent44]

We start doing operative work on patients at the very beginning of second year. Responsibilities increase from there as does time in clinic. We are in clinic almost every day of third year.

 

[goffdent]

ASDOH and Creighton come to mind - no specialty programs.

It doesn't guarantee a good clinical school, nor does having all the specialties guarantee you from not having a good clinical program....

 

[Toothshucker]

it doesn't guarantee a good clinical school, nor does having all the specialties guarantee you from not having a good clinical program....

+1

 

[goffdent]

It doesn't guarantee a good clinical school, nor does having all the specialties guarantee you from not having a good clinical program....

My school has all specialties, however, i've done SSCs, pulpotomies, onlays, cuspal coverages, complete upper/lower dentures, RPD, Cast post, core, crowns, FPD, multiple molar and premolar endo. Very difficult cases get sent to residents, but they're often cases not fit for someone at our experience level at this time, or even general practitioners who have been out 10+ years. Please don't be persuaded away from colleges with specialties.. Major benefit to them is that you are taught by specialists, not general dentists who can just get by with certain cases. Downfall, they are often much stricter and "by the books" which can be frustrating, but you're learning the correct way, even if you don't continue it after graduation.

 

[DentPre]

My school has all specialties, however, i've done SSCs, pulpotomies, onlays, cuspal coverages, complete upper/lower dentures, RPD, Cast post, core, crowns, FPD, multiple molar and premolar endo. Very difficult cases get sent to residents, but they're often cases not fit for someone at our experience level at this time, or even general practitioners who have been out 10+ years. Please don't be persuaded away from colleges with specialties.. Major benefit to them is that you are taught by specialists, not general dentists who can just get by with certain cases. Downfall, they are often much stricter and "by the books" which can be frustrating, but you're learning the correct way, even if you don't continue it after graduation.

Not necessarily. Handful of schools I applied to that didn't have specialties (or all the specialties) still had specialists leading and teaching their respective field.

 

[jeffity]

Not necessarily. Handful of schools I applied to that didn't have specialties, or all the specialties still had specialists leading and teaching their respective field.

That's factual. I saw the same and that's how my school rolls.

 

[DentPre]

That's factual. I saw the same and that's how my school rolls.

Him or me?

 

[goffdent]

Obviously you can have specialists teach anywhere.. What I'm getting at is that there is always staff on hand who are specialists in every field of dentistry, even pathology, radiology, public health etc.. that can answer questions.

 

[jay47]

ASDOH and Creighton come to mind - no specialty programs.

Specialty programs can be good and bad. At Houston, we have all specialties, so I think I have a good perspective of what its like. Often, difficult cases are sent directly to graduate programs and often rightfully so. We just don't have the time to treat people who need ortho, implants, crowns, bridges, and perio work all in one. However, some cases that would be great for undergrad do get referred and you can be frustrated. By the same token, it has been great having a good resource whenever I have tough questions in ortho, endo or OMS. They can provide good perspective on difficult issues.

 

[KittySquared]

My school has all specialties

So does mine, and we are lacking in just about everything. Oral surgery is essentially non existent. You learn the bare minimum and get to do the bare minimum. A while back i saw ASDOH's clinic requirements and they definitely have a lot for students to do. Some resident here came from AZ and said he did 30 crowns and a ton of stuff and never worried about not being clinically competent. (Maybe he's lying?). Who knows

 

[txaggie03]

Size of patient pool coupled with amount of requirements needed by graduation would be a pretty good indicator.

 

[jeffity]

So does mine, and we are lacking in just about everything. Oral surgery is essentially non existent. You learn the bare minimum and get to do the bare minimum. A while back i saw ASDOH's clinic requirements and they definitely have a lot for students to do. Some resident here came from AZ and said he did 30 crowns and a ton of stuff and never worried about not being clinically competent. (Maybe he's lying?). Who knows

It's the real deal. They do rotations like no one else. It's curriculum, not a brochure selling point at an interview - "Oh yeah, we so externships!" After first year boards, there's a lot of skill to pick up. Some of the numbers from just one four-week rotation are pretty crazy. I should dig some up. It's just the speed and confidence that's probably most valuable. So, that's one school I'm confident calling a strong clinical school. All opinion, of course.