The difference between Certificate and Masters in Orthodontics?

[Cold Front]

Does anyone know? 🙂

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[BuckeyeDDS]

Does anyone know? 🙂

My guess is that it has to do with whether or not a thesis is written and defended.

 

[vorosvirag]

Does anyone know? 🙂

BuckeyeDDS is correct.

I believe every program issues a certificate to each resident who completes the program, whether it's 2, 2.5 or 3 years. The certificate allows the graduate to practice that specialty. Ortho residents get an ortho certificate, endo folks get an endo certificate, and so on. All of us are thus officially made into specialists.

However, many ortho programs (I'd guess 70% or so) require a Master's Degree. So, in addition to your ortho certificate, you are awarded a Master's to show that you've completed a research project.

 

[gryffindor]

Certificate programs can require a research project to be completed and a thesis to be turned in as a requirement before getting the certificate.

The master's program awards a master's degree & a certificate, the certificate program only awards a certificate. For master's programs, you have to take master's classes which are required for the degree but are sometimes completely unrelated to orthodontics. So in that respect, it could be a waste of time.

 

[Cold Front]

So, are certificate alone programs more competitive than masters programs, or about the same?

 

[kato999]

So, are certificate alone programs more competitive than masters programs, or about the same?

It depends on the program, although every school seems pretty damn competitive. I would say that in general the 2 year programs that offer the masters tend to get the most applicants, especially if there is a stipend.

 

[dstud10]

So do you have to pay for the residency in most cases ( I heard somewhere around $40000 per year) or do you get paid to complete the Ortho residency?

 

[vorosvirag]

It depends on the program, although every school seems pretty damn competitive. I would say that in general the 2 year programs that offer the masters tend to get the most applicants, especially if there is a stipend.

Those 2-year Masters programs may be getting the most applications. But what's the material difference between 340 applications and 280 (or whatever the actual values are)? There still are only a few spots and an overwhelming # of applications.

Though your 2-year programs may get lots of applications, I don't think it's because of their Master's program. Your observation is due to association not causation.

The vast majority of residents feel less enrichment and more pain in the behind w/ research. I doubt interviewees are picking schools based on a Masters vs. certificate-only program. Those programs getting the most applications must have other things going for them: 2 years, stipend, good location, little labwork, good relationship between faculty and students, etc.

 

[vorosvirag]

So do you have to pay for the residency in most cases ( I heard somewhere around $40000 per year) or do you get paid to complete the Ortho residency?

I think in most cases (not sure of %) you have to pay. I'd guess, though, that $40,000 is the higher end. Several schools now are in the $40-50K range. But I think most w/o stipends keep it around $20K or below.

Off the top of my head, here are the schools I believe provide stipends: OSU, Nebraska, St. Barnabas, Rochester, Iowa, and UMKC. There have got to be others.

 

[decaydigger]

Montefiore

Salary: 45-55k/yr
Tuition: 25k/yr

Living in the Bronx: priceless

 

[toofache32]

I'm surprised nobody has said it yet: Master's programs give you a Master's, while certificate programs give you, ummm, certificates.

 

[vorosvirag]

I'm surprised nobody has said it yet: Master's programs give you a Master's, while certificate programs give you, ummm, certificates.

Toofache,

Griffin earlier explained the difference using words very similar to yours. I thought she made it very clear. She didn't use the "ummm," however. Check it out:

The master's program awards a master's degree & a certificate, the certificate program only awards a certificate.

Thanks for your clarification. We'd be lost w/o you.

Last of all, thanks for stopping by and passing gas. The "I farted" gives you that special touch.

 

[toofache32]

Sorry I missed that previous post.

 

[jpollei]

I think in most cases (not sure of %) you have to pay. I'd guess, though, that $40,000 is the higher end. Several schools now are in the $40-50K range. But I think most w/o stipends keep it around $20K or below.

Off the top of my head, here are the schools I believe provide stipends: OSU, Nebraska, St. Barnabas, Rochester, Iowa, and UMKC. There have got to be others.

One I can speak to--UNC Although they give the caviat that it's "always subject to change", they have waived/covered tuition, dished out a stipend of 10k-16k per year (depending on the year in the program), payed your health insurance, provided instruments/cameras/etc in clinic, etc. Not bad, as Chapel Hill is pretty reasonable to live in compared to most cities.

Ortho programs that include a Master's Degree are usually coordinated through the corresponding Graduate School of that university. I understnad that this often can result in an increased number of financial aid options--i.e. federal, state, private, etc.--funds not available at some certificate programs.

Bottom line is you are an orthodontist either way, and you will have (hopefully) learned sufficiently to be of service to your prospective patients.