Pedo Residency

[newbee007]

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Does anyone know anything about the metrohealth medical center pediatric residency program in Cleveland. I graduated from dental school in 2007, 2nd im my class, Part I boards 93. My plans were to work for a couple of years and then apply to Pedo, but now I am interested in applying for the 2008 program. This in the only program the has a deadline on Dec-15-07. If anybody knows anything about this program please Reply, and what are my chances applying this late.

 

[eh384]

I dont know much about the program, but under requirements on the AAPD page, it says "experience preferred". This may be a GPR or private practice, but with your ranking and boards, I would spend the hundred bucks or so and get my application in. What do you have to lose?👍

 

[ItsGavinC]

I agree with the above poster. Have you been working since you graduated? That would count as some experience.

You may not get an interview to the single program, but you'll never know unless you apply.

I know nothing about the program specifically. I applied there last year, but never heard anything.

 

[bruinfan]

I did an externship there and have kept in contact with the PD Dr. Kozik. When I was there all 4 residents had been out in private practice for at least 4 years. I believe last year they accepted someone straight out of dental school. It is a very intense program where you are expected to come in day one and bust through patient after patient. On Monday they are in the OR, Tuesday they do sedation with the OS residents, Wed Thurs and Fri you either do consults, see patients or go to one of two satellite campuses. The PD is way cool but he gets paid partly on production of the pedo clinic which is with the GPR clinic so you have to work fast and efficient. One of the reasons I did not apply there is because I did not feel I have the experience to produce like he expects.

 

[newbee007]

I have been working for the last 5 months, so I will have a year experience by the time the program starts. Thanks for the responses.

 

[capisce?]

Residencies should be for learning, not producing. Speed comes with experience. The goal should be to learn how to do things right. Then, the speed will come. It's backwards to learn speed before learning how to do things correctly. That's where bad habits come from.

 

[RubberBase]

Residencies should be for learning, not producing. Speed comes with experience. The goal should be to learn how to do things right. Then, the speed will come. It's backwards to learn speed before learning how to do things correctly. That's where bad habits come from.

Very well put.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Residencies should be for learning, not producing. Speed comes with experience. The goal should be to learn how to do things right. Then, the speed will come. It's backwards to learn speed before learning how to do things correctly. That's where bad habits come from.

The production goals of the PD might not be the only culprit in this case. It could be that practicing for 4+ years prior to applying is also where bad habits come from.

 

[eh384]

Private practice does not necesarilly equate to bad habits. If you truly want to, there are plenty of continuing ed courses to take to avoid these pitfalls. Bad habits come from docs who are content with doing half-a#$ work and don't put the effort into doing things the correct way.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Private practice does not necesarilly equate to bad habits. If you truly want to, there are plenty of continuing ed courses to take to avoid these pitfalls. Bad habits come from docs who are content with doing half-a#$ work and don't put the effort into doing things the correct way.

True that it does not necessarily equate to bad habits, but private practice certainly gives you the wiggle room to not put the effort into doing things the correct way.

Essentially there are 3 areas of dentistry: dental school/postgrad education, academics, and practice. Of those 3, practice is where you'll most likely be on your own, out from under the eyes of your peers. It's also where you may cut corners, not to be a malignant clinician, but to save time and cost.

 

[eh384]

Saving time and cost is not a factor. In the real world, your skill is what defines you. A crappy practitioner will not be successful, and problems will make you miserable. Somebody who is willing to cut corners here and there in the beginning is condeming themselves to a life of struggling to survive. And whats not to say that even after school and postgrad, when you are out on your own, you don't decide to cut corners? Theres alot of decisions to make in the "free world", and it's up to you to make the correct ones. I've made a few wrong ones,, and have learned from my mistakes, which in the end will make me a much better practitioner after my residency, because I sure as hell won't make the same mistake twice.

 

[capisce?]

Saving time and cost is not a factor. In the real world, your skill is what defines you. A crappy practitioner will not be successful, and problems will make you miserable.

For discussion-sake, I completely disagree in regards to this statement and pedo. If anything, I hate to say it but pedo is one of the few areas of dentistry where you can get away with "sub-standard" stuff. Most of the time your work is going to exfoliate within a few years.

What defines you in the real world is your ability to keep both kids, and more importantly, their parents happy. A mother is not going to know whether or not that class II prep and restoration is straight out of Sturdevant's Operative text or if you rushed through with a sloppy prep. She will know if her child has a tough time, or if they come out high-fiving you and all smiles.
That's not meant to undermine our work as pediatric dentistists. It's just a realization picked up from experience. Take two pediatric dentists: Tom does stellar work but lacks chair side manner, pushes his way through with anxious kids and blows mom off. Molly isn't necessarily the best clinician, but she is great with behavior management and understands how to manage the parents as well. In this case, the latter will be more successful. It is, of course, somewhat related to skill. But not in the context that you mention skill. It's really the skill involved in patient and parent management.

Saving time and cost is everything that matters. That's why pedo is high volume. We're not going to crank out 10k tx plans like GPs.

I think skill may separate the good GPs from the great GPs, but in pedo it is pretty low on the list of what defines success.

Just my 2c as always.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Saving time and cost is not a factor. In the real world, your skill is what defines you.

I disagree. Saving time and energy, while maintaining (or improving?) a quality product is the ENTIRE factor. That's what skill is. It's also VITAL in pedo or you'll make no money, have parents angry at you, and have children that won't sit in your chair.

And whats not to say that even after school and postgrad, when you are out on your own, you don't decide to cut corners?

That's *exactly* the thought that I've previously posted! Bad habits may develop their roots in dental school, but they certainly have the opportunity to solidify once in practice!