Is licensure headed to a national system? (plus misc. rant)

[el gato]

I am still in pre-dent, but one facet of the dental profession I'm puzzling over is procedures with licensure/credentialing, and job mobility in general.

Has anyone heard talk of dental licensure moving to a national system, as opposed to the current system with regional and state boards?

I spoke with a recent dental grad about this, who told me that, by the time I graduate five or six years from now, dentists will be to practice anywhere they want to upon graduation. Basically, he intimated that things were "headed in that direction."

l have also heard stories of state boards that give preference to in-state residents when granting licenses, in essence controlling the market. So, if the population's needs for dentists are considered to be currently met, and you're applying from out-of-state, tough luck. I was shocked when I heard that. I mean, this is America!!

Just curious if anyone else can help me shed some light on this. I am even debating whether or not to attend dental school in any state where I don't plan on living there for at least 9+ years for school (4yrs) and credentialing period (5yrs). Any advice or links to posts where this may already have been addressed would be appreciated.

El Gato

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[aphistis]

I am still in pre-dent, but one facet of the dental profession I'm puzzling over is procedures with licensure/credentialing, and job mobility in general.

Has anyone heard talk of dental licensure moving to a national system, as opposed to the current system with regional and state boards?

I spoke with a recent dental grad about this, who told me that, by the time I graduate five or six years from now, dentists will be to practice anywhere they want to upon graduation. Basically, he intimated that things were "headed in that direction."

l have also heard stories of state boards that give preference to in-state residents when granting licenses, in essence controlling the market. So, if the population's needs for dentists are considered to be currently met, and you're applying from out-of-state, tough luck. I was shocked when I heard that. I mean, this is America!!

Just curious if anyone else can help me shed some light on this. I am even debating whether or not to attend dental school in any state where I don't plan on living there for at least 9+ years for school (4yrs) and credentialing period (5yrs). Any advice or links to posts where this may already have been addressed would be appreciated.

El Gato

The problem you're describing is real, but not nearly as pronounced as that. A NERB (northeast regional board) license will cover you for all but a couple states in the eastern half of the US, while a WREB (west region examining board[?]) license will take cover of the western half. If you're moving to a state that recognizes a licensing exam you're current on, you don't have to relicense.

 

[DcS]

The supposed ADEX is supposed to fix this problem but since it's gotten political it's not gonna happen this year. We actually just took our live patient part of our boards 2 days ago (Saturday). It was the most stressful 11 hours of my life.

 

[jpollei]

The supposed ADEX is supposed to fix this problem but since it's gotten political it's not gonna happen this year. We actually just took our live patient part of our boards 2 days ago (Saturday). It was the most stressful 11 hours of my life.

Agreed. Good to be done with (hopefully), though.

 

[chinchaz]

Agreed. Good to be done with (hopefully), though.

Watching the DS4's get ready for the boards is stressful enough. I think there should be some way to make it an easier process. Out here in Vegas we just got to start taking the WREB, which means we don't have to make a denture any more for the boards which is very, very nice.

I figure that the ability to cut and fill a class II prep is the lowest common denominator to allow the most people to pass, which is either a good or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.

 

[jpollei]

Watching the DS4's get ready for the boards is stressful enough. I think there should be some way to make it an easier process. Out here in Vegas we just got to start taking the WREB, which means we don't have to make a denture any more for the boards which is very, very nice.

I figure that the ability to cut and fill a class II prep is the lowest common denominator to allow the most people to pass, which is either a good or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.

No, what the examiners of the WREB (or any other exam) think of your prep--or even what kind of day they are having for that matter--is the lowest common denominator. You'll find most of the exam is not a reflection of your ability, but rather is you sitting back while the board happens to you.

 

[rarm1]

Plans are in the works... but slow... state rights issues... state boards do not want to lose power. The issue will be discussed at the Amer Dental Education Assoc meeting in March. I am on a committee of the Counsel of Students and Counsel of Sections and Counsel of Deans on National Licensure.

One says medicine has it why not us... but Medicine has manditory residency.. not just one year but to finish a program (3-5 years), and a part 3 of the national boards (after one year of residency), and speciality boards (to get on a hospital staff) and recertification boards after 10 years to maintain status, and peer review of cases that have problems(when they are hospitalized), etc...

We have little of these other requirements... in fact none.

NY and Delaware and others now have a residency requirement. We are experimenting in a residency requirement, a slide exam on diagnosis, and checking competency while in a residency.... the work is long and a political hot issure.... it will pass... hopefully soon... but definately by Y3K<g>

 

[DcS]

Plans are in the works... but slow... state rights issues... state boards do not want to lose power. The issue will be discussed at the Amer Dental Education Assoc meeting in March. I am on a committee of the Counsel of Students and Counsel of Sections and Counsel of Deans on National Licensure.

One says medicine has it why not us... but Medicine has manditory residency.. not just one year but to finish a program (3-5 years), and a part 3 of the national boards (after one year of residency), and speciality boards (to get on a hospital staff) and recertification boards after 10 years to maintain status, and peer review of cases that have problems(when they are hospitalized), etc...

We have little of these other requirements... in fact none.

NY and Delaware and others now have a residency requirement. We are experimenting in a residency requirement, a slide exam on diagnosis, and checking competency while in a residency.... the work is long and a political hot issure.... it will pass... hopefully soon... but definately by Y3K<g>

Those of us at UNC have already been 'victimized' by the ADEX exam administered by the CITA testing agency, which is in poitical shambles. When we started they justified the 1400$ exam fee by saying they were going to have 40 states on board. After our live patient part last week and the disorginization/mayhem involved, I'll be surprised if CITA is still around to adminisiter the ADEX at all in a year or two. As with everything in life, something developed to help students, dentists and in the end the patient population falls prey to power-hungry people getting into political pissing-matches.

Do I sound bitter?

 

[TKD]

Plans are in the works... but slow... state rights issues... state boards do not want to lose power. The issue will be discussed at the Amer Dental Education Assoc meeting in March. I am on a committee of the Counsel of Students and Counsel of Sections and Counsel of Deans on National Licensure.

One says medicine has it why not us... but Medicine has manditory residency.. not just one year but to finish a program (3-5 years), and a part 3 of the national boards (after one year of residency), and speciality boards (to get on a hospital staff) and recertification boards after 10 years to maintain status, and peer review of cases that have problems(when they are hospitalized), etc...

We have little of these other requirements... in fact none.

NY and Delaware and others now have a residency requirement. We are experimenting in a residency requirement, a slide exam on diagnosis, and checking competency while in a residency.... the work is long and a political hot issure.... it will pass... hopefully soon... but definately by Y3K<g>

Let's not forget that any way you look at it, an exam over 2 days is not a reflection of skill. We need to stop pretending that it is. Studies have been done to prove this. It's more a matter of did u pay your patient enough that they'll show up, is the decay an appropriate size, and other matters. These testing agencies are victimizing dental students and robbing us at the same time. Unfortunately they have an unholy alliance with state dental boards who are overly protective and concerned with "turf wars." Can you believe that many students in my class CANCELLED over 15 clinic days - these are days that we could be performing dentistry on real patients and improving skills - to screen patients and practice preps on typodonts??? Bunch of BS. I personally ended up forking over $8,000 to take 2 board exams (1 of which I took perio twice b/c patient didn't qualify). It's very obvious to me that a residency is the way to go. NY has it right. Do the residency and during the course of it meet the credentialing criteria. Delaware has it half right - they want us to take a board exam and residency. ya ok.