Residency dissapointment

[zkffk90000]

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I am not sure if there are any legal ramifications or any kind of trouble you could get into by posting on SDN about GPR program experience with its name
I have let my close friends know to never come to this program
I have been severely disappointed this experience

I would appreciate any advice by experienced members for future residents that may be going through the same thing in how to deal with horrible GPR due to inexperience
some of the concerns and questions are

1. what can we do to remedy abusive boss to resident relationship?
fear of retaliation from GPR director or attending when suggestions are made
a lot of attendings and GPR director have a good relationship and you are just there for a year. if you complain about your attending to GPR director, retaliation may come to you because they are friends.
They understand that you will need a letter of rec from them or references in the future if you are planning on applying to a specialty or job and can abuse the residents in ways where pushing residents past working hours or no lunch time constantly, pushing of recalls/hygiene on residents because it makes more money for the attending (attending gets paid percentage of residents production) b/c they understand that RCT and Crowns may take multiple long appointments for fresh grads.

Attending likes to remind you that "they get multiple calls from people asking and they don't answer because they didn't like them in residency"

if you have matched, you are kind of stuck in GPR without quitting if you want to apply to a specialty as it can violate contract agreement with the MATCH system


2. CODA is there for accreditation of a program but is there a organized body that takes care of dental GPR residents from getting overworked and mistreated by a program?
work hours end at 5 but patients are accepted and seen at 4:45, 4:50 sometimes past 5pm. assistants leave because they are protected by the Union but residents are constantly behind doing late recalls/ hygienes and any other procedures even after seeing 10+ pts a day pretty much by yourself because they need "production, behind production, our numbers are short"

3. attendings telling GPR residents to "google" "read manual" expecting dental school to have taught everything
any and every procedure past recalls/hygiene/fillings/dentures, simple crowns, endos (which is scarce due to pt population) is referred because attending not comfortable.

These are some of the examples, there are many horror stories and times
But any advice for future residents going through the same would be appreciated because I definitely didn't have one and was lost

 

[BocasDelToro]

Isn't your GPR almost over? Seems a little late in the game to be freaking out over this?...

 

[zkffk90000]

not really for me.
just want for future residents
there's not much topic regarding this

 

[vellnueve]

A residency is not supposed to be dental school. Much of the learning is self driven. As for work hours, can’t tell if serious. It’s a residency.

 

[nealofgrafton]

GPR/ AEGD all pay their residents...

 

[Saddleshoes]

Sounds like you are well trained for the low end corporate world.

 

[vellnueve]

If much of the "training" is self-driven, then what is the point of going to a residency in the first place? Residency should be a place to learn first and foremost, especially so for GPR residents as they only have one year. Let's also not forget that most dental residency programs charge tuition. Instructors are supposed to shorten the learning curve by holding residents' hands through some cases before resorting to more aloof, Socratic method of teaching. It's their job to teach, not to refer residents to google or youtube right off the bat. This isn't the Navy sir.

Go ask any civilian medical intern how much hand holding they get.

 

[setdoc7]

Unless you are planning to work in NY or DE, the GPR was not required. If the attendings are getting apiece of the fees you bill, then of course they are going to push you to see lots of patients, the same way an owner will treat an associate. The educational component of your program is another story, as all GPR's must have a curriculum and lecture schedule. If you are not being taught how to do procedures above and beyond what you were taught in D school, you have a legit concern. Working past 5pm is a fact of life in all programs on some days.
No program is a walk in the park. And Vellnueve is correct, a lot of the programs are self directed, the best residents make the most of their time by taking charge of their schedules and focusing on the good cases, while filling in with the basic, tedious ones. It sounds like you were expecting to be spoon fed all the good stuff without enduring any of the boring/tough stuff. This was your year to try some new things, and make the best of what sounds like a tough situation for you. If there is a resident in your class who has been considerably more successful than you, then realize that person figured out how to make the system work, and you did not.
I am a GPR PD. Not every resident is always happy. My goal is always to treat everyone evenly and fairly....and provide the clinical experiences I promised at the interview. I am generally successful. Some residents always end up doing more than others.

If you are represented by the CIR, talk to your union rep. If not, you have 10 weeks left.

 

[zkffk90000]

thank you for response setdoct7
CIR is definitely something I had no idea about and I will encourage residents to look into this in the future before going into a residency.

You are right. I just want future residents to understand that this is something I believe might be important to know when choosing a residency. to understand that residency where attending is getting a piece of production, they may push cleaning and recall and fillings over other procedures because it makes the most money for them.
No program is walk in the park correct and working past 5pm is of course expected on some days but when its constant past 5pm because they want to push recalls and fillings at 4:50pm and accept patients well past 5pm, it becomes a problem.
Every resident at my program is unhappy and every resident would have no problem and would be happy staying way past 5pm if it meant doing a procedure to learn but we feel that we are not becoming a better clinician doing utmost basic things.
unfortunately we have no control over our schedules

Self directed programs I have no problem with Vellnueve and in fact I would love a self directed program. I definitely did not expect to be spoon fed and non of my residents do. I look for cases and in fact take CE's read articles on new and complicated procedures to attempt or different file systems or even composites, crowns. But when the attending is not comfortable and actively fights against the residents from doing procedures it became a problem. My problem is the constant push back from attempting new things because 1. attending not comfortable, 2. costs them time and money, 3 belitting and yelling at residents for attempting stuff they are not comfortable with. On so many occasions lectures and CE's that were promised were taken away because they "forgot" and attendings coming late to work.

From what Vellnueve is saying It may be smarter for residents who do not want to work in NY or DE to go into corporate or private practice setting and making 3 -4 times the amount they would be making at a residency and taking CE courses and finding mentors in Dental settings.

It is absolutely integral for newer resident to ask the current residents at the program you want to attend what they think about the program. A lot of program directors and attendings will sell you the program with promises which may not be true.

 

[Java 55]

Follow the chain of command. If a resident feels an attending is abusive in any way, they should be able to speak to the PD or Chair of the department. If a resident feels their PD is abusive, go to the Chair of the department. No resident should feel abused in any program!

BTW. Attendings do not get phone calls/emails all day from prospective employers. Some employers may request proof of GPR completion.

Regarding attending/faculty compensation. In many NYC programs, most are salaried. The faculty are not compensated by residents production. Those who are on staff are not there for the compensation!

The reason you may find yourself doing many comp exams and hygiene procedures is that the hospital negotiated capitation plans. Plain and simple. It is up to the resident to be savvy with their schedules to find the cases they want to do. This brings us to motivation. It is expected that residents should be self-motivated. Those that are not may do menial dental tasks all day. Those that are very driven find themselves doing many complexed dental procedures.

Regarding work hours. You are a resident! The program is not a 9-5 job. Duty hours must be reported and documented. If you feel you are overworked, you may speak to the DIO in the GME office. CIR union is another route.

I am a GPR PD as well and I agree with setdoc7.