GPR vs Associate if trying to specialize?

[prays4snow]

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If you are thinking about specializing and are going to wait to apply at the end of your senior year would it be better to do a GPR/ AEGD or work in a private practice as an associate during the application process. Or does it matter at all?

 

[flapaTron]

if your ultimate goal is to specialize, why not just apply to specialty programs directly during your senior year?

 

[prays4snow]

Good question. I have never been sold on specializing until recently. I am probably in the top 15 in my class and got an 89 on my boards but I really haven't done any externships or anything else to really set me apart. I also know many of my classmates have already applied, and I am guessing that I am getting pretty late for putting in an application. Does anybody know when an application is actually considered late? If I'm not to late what can I do to scramble and make myself a better candidate?

 

[lemoncurry]

depending on your specialty of choice, you may be a better applicant with some experience under your belt. Perio and prosths are two I can think of. Since i'm interested in perio, I've been told by many faculty/administrators that it is best to get some experience, and they went further to say that a gpr would be the quickest way to do it. 1 year gpr = ~5 yrs. associate exp.

 

[prays4snow]

I see that many people agree that 5 yrs of being an associate = 1 yr in a GPR, but do schools choosing applicants feel the same way?

Or to them is is 1yr GPR= 1yr Associate?

 

[HupHolland]

I don't think it is fair to compare 5 year associateship = 1 year GPR/AEGD; you really can't put a number value on it. There are certainly pros/cons to both routes.

If your goal is to specialize I think your best bet is to apply for GPR/AEGD. Why? Because it is a more structured environment, you will be less likely to learn bad habits and there is a literature/evidence based component to them. The foundation of every specialty program is literature, literature, literature!

Hup

 

[lemoncurry]

All I know is what I have heard from the director of the grad perio program at LLU who said that a gpr would be like 5 years job experience and would look good on an application.

 

[HupHolland]

All I know is what I have heard from the director of the grad perio program at LLU who said that a gpr would be like 5 years job experience and would look good on an application.

I agree that a GPR would look good on an application.

However, I don't think that most programs would correlate a 1 year GPR/AEGD to 5 years of private practice.

 

[yappy]

I know every situation is different but do you think on average, this 1yr GPR = 5 yrs associate is true for a general dentist?

Meaning, are the skills of a general dentist 5 yrs out the same as a dentist that finished a GPR? or is this a metric that is used in selecting applicants for residencies only?

 

[HupHolland]

I know every situation is different but do you think on average, this 1yr GPR = 5 yrs associate is true for a general dentist?

Meaning, are the skills of a general dentist 5 yrs out the same as a dentist that finished a GPR? or is this a metric that is used in selecting applicants for residencies only?

NO it's not true! Not all GPRs/AEGDs are created equally. Some are great, some are crappy. Some private practice experiences will surpass GPR experiences and vice versa.

A GPR/AEGD is just 1 more year for you to get your feet wet doing more complex procedures before going out into the real world.

I'm doing an AEGD right now and am very happy with no regrets.

Hup

 

[browncrack]

On your specialty application you will need to say what you did to fill time before you applied. People graduate at different levels of ability and need different experiences to be fully comfortable in the operatory. If you do a one year residency there are specific mandatory experiences you will have that give some standard experiences. Not all residencies offer the same depth in all required areas. No similar requirements exist in private practice. You could work at the world's slowest/fastest office, a denture mill, a medicaid mill, start/buy a practice, or take on all the surplus crown and bridge at a cosmetic practice. No guarantees in either private practice or residency. You'll probably be talking about your experience out of dental school in your application regardless of what you do.

 

[prays4snow]

Thanks for all the replies, you are all super helpful.

 

[jcdragon13]

Hello, im going to a GPR interview next wk. May you guys share some of your interview experiences and what i should be expecting from the interview? what questions should i ask about their program? thank you..

 

[NileBDS]

If you are thinking about specializing and are going to wait to apply at the end of your senior year would it be better to do a GPR/ AEGD or work in a private practice as an associate during the application process. Or does it matter at all?

GPR, no question. I will be the first one to say that GPR/AEGD programs are poorly calibrated at best, hence offer different experiences. But for some freak reason, most program directors always value an "academic based learning" (GPR/AEGD) vs private practice (which is it's own mixed basket).

In my experience, ALL ... all my friends who did GPRs with the intention of ultimately specializing, have matched in to their perspective specialty program. Of those who went into private practice, some are still in private practice trying to match. As un-scientific, small sample size, anecdotal as it may be, it nonetheless reinforces that notion.

 

[mike3kgt]

I know every situation is different but do you think on average, this 1yr GPR = 5 yrs associate is true for a general dentist?

Meaning, are the skills of a general dentist 5 yrs out the same as a dentist that finished a GPR? or is this a metric that is used in selecting applicants for residencies only?

This is purely academic only, no validity in the real world. I have practiced with many GPR-trained dentists, only 1 out of the bunch (~10) I would consider more comfortable with dentistry than I was after 1 year of clinical practice. This is also dependent upon the associate experiences... I had a great mentor and learned a lot in 1 year. Same thing could be said for 1 year of GPR if you go to a good one or have a good mentor there.

GPRs are great experience for those students who just don't feel 100% comfortable with dentistry during their 4th year of dental school and feel like they need the extra year under the watch of others. I also have found those who wanted more experience with extractions, IV sedation, hospital based approach, medically-compromised patients, and some implant experience (if not received in school).

Unfortunately, I have talked to too many people who feel like they wasted their time because they were interested in other things (prosthetics, esthetic dentistry, orthodontics) so I am a little biased with the whole GPR experience.

Regardless of my bias, it is generally understood that 1 year of GPR makes dental students more comfortable with private practice and helps with specialty admissions.

 

[mmasurf]

1 yr gpr does compare to a few yrs of private practice, when people do a gpr they are thrown into an environment where the majority of patients are really complex and at times are referred to the hospital from private dentists who cannot handle the dentistry. by working on those people the gpr gets the practice that isn't achieved in private practice.