What's the difference between GPR and AEGD?

[igores07]

Hi all,

I know it sounds weird and stupid but really what's the difference between a GPR program and a AEGD program?

I know that both relate to further education in different aspects of dentistry and that each program focuses on special topics in every aspect of dentistry, but I couldn't figure out where is the dividing line between the two which separates them and gives them their unique definition as a post-graduate program.

Is this their main difference that one of them is offered in a hospital setting (GPR) and the other one in a dental clinic/school (AEGD)?

Could someone give a solid definition and if possible mention the main characteristics of each?

Thank you in advance,
igores

PS: If someone completes a GPR or an AEGD program, can he/she begin to work right away? and does anybody have any info about the starting salary for GPR or AEGD graduates?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Bifid Uvula]

This could be a loose generalization, but for the most part these are the differences.

GPR: Hospital Based General Dentistry Residency of 1-2 years. This involves being part of the hospital staff, consulting and treating hospitalized patients, emergency room care, learning to perform Operating Room Dentistry for patients under General Anesthesia, and short rotations in various specialties like: Internal Medicine, Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Emergency Room, Anesthesia, etc... You take some emergency call as well. Depending on the program it can be heavily based in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, or it can be General Dental/Dentoalveolar/Infection emergencies. You get advanced training in most areas of dentistry, get to perform large cases and participate in the care of medically compromised/medically complex patients (pre-heart surgery/pre-transplant/cancer patients). Most residents become proficient in Oral Surgery, Endo, and Larger Pros cases. Some GPR's have excellent exposure to dental implant surgery/restorations, while other's don't. When you graduate, you are eligible for hospital privileges should you chose to incorporate that into your practice. GPR's pay between 35-50K for the year.

AEGD: Almost always Dental-School based. You get a lot more freedom than dental students, but essentially it is like a 5th year of dental school. Some programs have excellent AEGD's with good exposure to more advanced procedures in dental specialties, and others have so-so exposure. Typically you don't have to take after-hours call/manage true emergencies. Those usually get punted (unfairly to OMFS or the local GPR residents).

Personally, I think that the GPR is a far superior route to go because it helps you see and learn more things (the bigger picture) when it comes to managing and treating your patients. It helps to get you thinking more like a "doctor" and less like a "technician." If you don't see true emergencies and true medical problems, you don't learn how to manage them in your office. The AEGD seems too much like a 5th year of dental school.

Either way, I am a firm believer that dental education of 4 years is NOT ENOUGH and that a significant leap in learning/treatment planning and clinical skills are made by doing either the GPR or AEGD.

Whichever you pick, its still way better than coming straight out of dental school. Only those who have done the residency will truly know and understand that... u gotta joint to club to know.

 

[igores07]

Thank you Bifid Uvula for your detailed post!

According to what you said it seems that out of these 2, GPR seems a more reasonable path towards specialty and in general to become a skilled dentist in the US.

Can you please list some of the GPR programs, those which are popular among applicants and if you have any information about what aspects do they focus mostly, please mention that as well. (I'm interested in west coast programs, also NY and IL)

I assume some of the GPR programs in the US charge a certain amount as tuition, instead of stipend, Do you know of such programs? (I would certainly refuse those since I'll be already in debt by that time, since I'll be attending an IDP (international dentist) program to get a dental degree.😀)

Thank you in advance,
igores

This could be a loose generalization, but for the most part these are the differences.

GPR: Hospital Based General Dentistry Residency of 1-2 years. This involves being part of the hospital staff, consulting and treating hospitalized patients, emergency room care, learning to perform Operating Room Dentistry for patients under General Anesthesia, and short rotations in various specialties like: Internal Medicine, Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Emergency Room, Anesthesia, etc... You take some emergency call as well. Depending on the program it can be heavily based in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, or it can be General Dental/Dentoalveolar/Infection emergencies. You get advanced training in most areas of dentistry, get to perform large cases and participate in the care of medically compromised/medically complex patients (pre-heart surgery/pre-transplant/cancer patients). Most residents become proficient in Oral Surgery, Endo, and Larger Pros cases. Some GPR's have excellent exposure to dental implant surgery/restorations, while other's don't. When you graduate, you are eligible for hospital privileges should you chose to incorporate that into your practice. GPR's pay between 35-50K for the year.

AEGD: Almost always Dental-School based. You get a lot more freedom than dental students, but essentially it is like a 5th year of dental school. Some programs have excellent AEGD's with good exposure to more advanced procedures in dental specialties, and others have so-so exposure. Typically you don't have to take after-hours call/manage true emergencies. Those usually get punted (unfairly to OMFS or the local GPR residents).

Personally, I think that the GPR is a far superior route to go because it helps you see and learn more things (the bigger picture) when it comes to managing and treating your patients. It helps to get you thinking more like a "doctor" and less like a "technician." If you don't see true emergencies and true medical problems, you don't learn how to manage them in your office. The AEGD seems too much like a 5th year of dental school.

Either way, I am a firm believer that dental education of 4 years is NOT ENOUGH and that a significant leap in learning/treatment planning and clinical skills are made by doing either the GPR or AEGD.

Whichever you pick, its still way better than coming straight out of dental school. Only those who have done the residency will truly know and understand that... u gotta joint to club to know.

 

[Bifid Uvula]

I'm in oral & maxillofacial surgery, so I can't give you too much more info on GPR's other than the fact that NONE charge tuition (and I believe that is the case with most AEGD's as well).

Both prepare you well if you chose to specialize in the future and both prepare you well to enter private practice. So either one you chose will be better than going straight into private practice after graduation.

You are gonna need to check out programs and perhaps do an internship. You will learn more about programs during the application/interview cycle. There are people on this thread that have done GPRs and know more details... Perhaps you can do a search on past threads.

 

[rarm1]

Hi
There is a list of GPR/AEGD on the ADA pages ... booklet from ADA may also be in your school library.

All programs are different... but I agree with what was said above.

Any program, you get out of it what you put in.

Be sure you know if program will "support" you desire for speciality,,, some don't.

This year, 2 of our June grads will be going on... one to OMS, the other to ortho.

 

[NileBDS]

PS: If someone completes a GPR or an AEGD program, can he/she begin to work right away? and does anybody have any info about the starting salary for GPR or AEGD graduates?

You don't need to do either one of them to practice. You can practice right out of school.

As for your second question, as far as I know neither one of them will give you a salary advantage, although they will make it considerably easier to find a job (and yes, maybe a better paying one).

I guess what I am trying to say is that employers won't offer you more money than Joe Newgrad just because you have completed a GPR/AEGD.
Now, arguably, will earn more money anyways since you have had the time (and additional experience/exposure) to pick up speed, and do things in more efficient terms (more production, less overhead).

 

[NileBDS]

👍 👍 👍

This could be a loose generalization, but for the most part these are the differences.

GPR: Hospital Based General Dentistry Residency of 1-2 years. This involves being part of the hospital staff, consulting and treating hospitalized patients, emergency room care, learning to perform Operating Room Dentistry for patients under General Anesthesia, and short rotations in various specialties like: Internal Medicine, Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Emergency Room, Anesthesia, etc... You take some emergency call as well. Depending on the program it can be heavily based in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, or it can be General Dental/Dentoalveolar/Infection emergencies. You get advanced training in most areas of dentistry, get to perform large cases and participate in the care of medically compromised/medically complex patients (pre-heart surgery/pre-transplant/cancer patients). Most residents become proficient in Oral Surgery, Endo, and Larger Pros cases. Some GPR's have excellent exposure to dental implant surgery/restorations, while other's don't. When you graduate, you are eligible for hospital privileges should you chose to incorporate that into your practice. GPR's pay between 35-50K for the year.

AEGD: Almost always Dental-School based. You get a lot more freedom than dental students, but essentially it is like a 5th year of dental school. Some programs have excellent AEGD's with good exposure to more advanced procedures in dental specialties, and others have so-so exposure. Typically you don't have to take after-hours call/manage true emergencies. Those usually get punted (unfairly to OMFS or the local GPR residents).

Personally, I think that the GPR is a far superior route to go because it helps you see and learn more things (the bigger picture) when it comes to managing and treating your patients. It helps to get you thinking more like a "doctor" and less like a "technician." If you don't see true emergencies and true medical problems, you don't learn how to manage them in your office. The AEGD seems too much like a 5th year of dental school.

Either way, I am a firm believer that dental education of 4 years is NOT ENOUGH and that a significant leap in learning/treatment planning and clinical skills are made by doing either the GPR or AEGD.

Whichever you pick, its still way better than coming straight out of dental school. Only those who have done the residency will truly know and understand that... u gotta joint to club to know.

 

[NileBDS]

...

I assume some of the GPR programs in the US charge a certain amount as tuition, instead of stipend, Do you know of such programs? (I would certainly refuse those since I'll be already in debt by that time, since I'll be attending an IDP (international dentist) program to get a dental degree.😀)

Thank you in advance,
igores

Hi Igores.

From personal experience, a GPR/AEGD should be the last thing on your mind right now. Just sit tight for your IDP.

Good Luck.

 

[newtooth]

This could be a loose generalization, but for the most part these are the differences.

GPR: Hospital Based General Dentistry Residency of 1-2 years. This involves being part of the hospital staff, consulting and treating hospitalized patients, emergency room care, learning to perform Operating Room Dentistry for patients under General Anesthesia, and short rotations in various specialties like: Internal Medicine, Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Emergency Room, Anesthesia, etc... You take some emergency call as well. Depending on the program it can be heavily based in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, or it can be General Dental/Dentoalveolar/Infection emergencies. You get advanced training in most areas of dentistry, get to perform large cases and participate in the care of medically compromised/medically complex patients (pre-heart surgery/pre-transplant/cancer patients). Most residents become proficient in Oral Surgery, Endo, and Larger Pros cases. Some GPR's have excellent exposure to dental implant surgery/restorations, while other's don't. When you graduate, you are eligible for hospital privileges should you chose to incorporate that into your practice. GPR's pay between 35-50K for the year.

AEGD: Almost always Dental-School based. You get a lot more freedom than dental students, but essentially it is like a 5th year of dental school. Some programs have excellent AEGD's with good exposure to more advanced procedures in dental specialties, and others have so-so exposure. Typically you don't have to take after-hours call/manage true emergencies. Those usually get punted (unfairly to OMFS or the local GPR residents).

Personally, I think that the GPR is a far superior route to go because it helps you see and learn more things (the bigger picture) when it comes to managing and treating your patients. It helps to get you thinking more like a "doctor" and less like a "technician." If you don't see true emergencies and true medical problems, you don't learn how to manage them in your office. The AEGD seems too much like a 5th year of dental school.

Either way, I am a firm believer that dental education of 4 years is NOT ENOUGH and that a significant leap in learning/treatment planning and clinical skills are made by doing either the GPR or AEGD.

Whichever you pick, its still way better than coming straight out of dental school. Only those who have done the residency will truly know and understand that... u gotta joint to club to know.

hi,
sorry i am so much confused,please do let me know that if i want to practice in california do i have to do GPR or AEGD program after schooling of 2 years or can i apply for dental licence after passing WREB exam after completion of schooling

 

[NileBDS]

hi,
sorry i am so much confused,please do let me know that if i want to practice in california do i have to do GPR or AEGD program after schooling of 2 years or can i apply for dental licence after passing WREB exam after completion of schooling

Hi Newtooth.

You can find more accurate responses to you question here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=53

That is the international forum for foreign graduates, just like yourself.

In short, once you complete your accredited advanced standing training and get your DDS/DMD, you can take ONE of the following paths to licensure in California:

1. California state boards
2. WREB
3. 1 year PG residency, either an AEGD or GPR

Good Luck

 

[newtooth]

thankyou for your help nilebds.
newtooth