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Prostho Programs and applying
- Thread starter gprostho123
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There haven't been too many people interested in pros on these boards so the comments will likely be few and far between. But I'm happy to answer any questions you might have! Good luck.
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Hi Mackchops,
I'm applying this year to 5-8 prostho programs. What are the program directors looking ? Which programs do you recommend?
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Hey,
You've picked an awesome field - good luck with your applications.
I think pros, more than other specialties, is not a numbers game. I think numbers and other achievements help distinguish you and will help you get interviews, but I think most directors are looking for residents who have some skill with their hands and who can think critically. Make sure you know what you're getting into (late nights in the lab) and can communicate why you're interested in going into pros. Having some idea of the difference between a "prosthodontist" and a general dentist who offers restorative dentistry is key.
As for what programs I would recommend, if you think you have a strong application then apply for programs that pay! Don't let this be your only motivation, but I wouldn't dream of spending another 50k a year for three more years - eek! Secondly, I think your potential co-residents are key. You'll be spending more time with these people over the next three years than anyone else - you'd better get along with them! Class size is important too - some programs take 1 resident a year (or 1 every other year like Mayo) while some programs take nearly 10 residents a year. At UTHSCSA we have 3 per year which I think is the perfect size. Also, make sure you get to do some lab work in residency - you're really doing yourself a disservice by picking a program that skimps in the lab. NY Hospital Queens does almost no lab work while at Maryland you do all your own lab work all three years. Again, I chose UT because we're a balance somewhere in the middle - we do a lot, but not all. Lastly, I would choose a program that focuses on fundamental pros first with surgery a distant second. Every program has to provide its residents with some implant placement but some programs really go overboard - placing 200-300 implants in a pros residency is unnecessary in my opinion. If you want to be a surgical prosthodontist then do a perio-pros residency or an implant fellowship after finishing pros - don't let implant surgery take away from your fundamental pros experience.
I hope that helps. You really need to visit programs to see if the chemistry is right. But I would start out by applying to ones that won't put you further into debt...
Finally, you probably know that pros doesn't do match. This gets to be tough when you have other interviews lined up and you already have an offer. Be prepared for this - it's very tough to turn down an offer because your favorite program isn't interviewing you for another couple of weeks. I had to cancel 5 interviews - I had all the flights and hotels booked too! It might be a good idea to get travel insurance when you book these interviews so if you have to cancel any you can get some of your money back...
Let me know if you have any questions about specific programs. Good luck!
You've picked an awesome field - good luck with your applications.
I think pros, more than other specialties, is not a numbers game. I think numbers and other achievements help distinguish you and will help you get interviews, but I think most directors are looking for residents who have some skill with their hands and who can think critically. Make sure you know what you're getting into (late nights in the lab) and can communicate why you're interested in going into pros. Having some idea of the difference between a "prosthodontist" and a general dentist who offers restorative dentistry is key.
As for what programs I would recommend, if you think you have a strong application then apply for programs that pay! Don't let this be your only motivation, but I wouldn't dream of spending another 50k a year for three more years - eek! Secondly, I think your potential co-residents are key. You'll be spending more time with these people over the next three years than anyone else - you'd better get along with them! Class size is important too - some programs take 1 resident a year (or 1 every other year like Mayo) while some programs take nearly 10 residents a year. At UTHSCSA we have 3 per year which I think is the perfect size. Also, make sure you get to do some lab work in residency - you're really doing yourself a disservice by picking a program that skimps in the lab. NY Hospital Queens does almost no lab work while at Maryland you do all your own lab work all three years. Again, I chose UT because we're a balance somewhere in the middle - we do a lot, but not all. Lastly, I would choose a program that focuses on fundamental pros first with surgery a distant second. Every program has to provide its residents with some implant placement but some programs really go overboard - placing 200-300 implants in a pros residency is unnecessary in my opinion. If you want to be a surgical prosthodontist then do a perio-pros residency or an implant fellowship after finishing pros - don't let implant surgery take away from your fundamental pros experience.
I hope that helps. You really need to visit programs to see if the chemistry is right. But I would start out by applying to ones that won't put you further into debt...
Finally, you probably know that pros doesn't do match. This gets to be tough when you have other interviews lined up and you already have an offer. Be prepared for this - it's very tough to turn down an offer because your favorite program isn't interviewing you for another couple of weeks. I had to cancel 5 interviews - I had all the flights and hotels booked too! It might be a good idea to get travel insurance when you book these interviews so if you have to cancel any you can get some of your money back...
Let me know if you have any questions about specific programs. Good luck!
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Mackchops,
Maybe you can explain a little bit about how the patient load is distributed amongst the different programs at your school. For example, DDS vs. AEGD/GPR vs. Prostho. Are patients referred from DDS to AEGD/Prostho? Is there any animosity between the programs? Where are most of your patients coming from (outside vs. inside referrals)?
At my school we don't have a prostho program, so our complex cases get referred to AEGD, faculty practice, or private practice. Luckily for me, one of my preceptors is a prosthodontist, so we have had opportunities to treat more complex cases at the DDS level that I'm sure at some schools would have been referred out. I think the benefit of not have a prostho program here is that we have a wider breadth of learning opportunities. My concern with schools that have all the specialties and certificate programs is that the large patient pool could get very small when trying to distribute the patients among programs and as a result learning opportunities would be a little more limited. Maybe I'm over-thinking this a bit.
Maybe you can explain a little bit about how the patient load is distributed amongst the different programs at your school. For example, DDS vs. AEGD/GPR vs. Prostho. Are patients referred from DDS to AEGD/Prostho? Is there any animosity between the programs? Where are most of your patients coming from (outside vs. inside referrals)?
At my school we don't have a prostho program, so our complex cases get referred to AEGD, faculty practice, or private practice. Luckily for me, one of my preceptors is a prosthodontist, so we have had opportunities to treat more complex cases at the DDS level that I'm sure at some schools would have been referred out. I think the benefit of not have a prostho program here is that we have a wider breadth of learning opportunities. My concern with schools that have all the specialties and certificate programs is that the large patient pool could get very small when trying to distribute the patients among programs and as a result learning opportunities would be a little more limited. Maybe I'm over-thinking this a bit.
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From my perspective, it's not a problem. There are PLENTY of patients to go around. We receive patients into the pros clinic from everywhere - private referrals, predoc referrals, and direct appointments. The other specialties like us because we send our patients out for the fun stuff - ortho, os, tons of perio, etc. I don't know if there's any love lost between us and the predocs - I haven't been here long enough - but I wouldn't assume so.
