Linking postdoctoral general dentistry programs with managed care programs and settings

Abstract

This report presents the results of a small workgroup convened by the American Association of Dental Schools to examine experiences related to postdoctoral general dentistry programs linked with managed care systems and clinical settings. The workgroup was a component of an Association effort to identify and promote innovative and nontraditional methods by which the number of postdoctoral general dentistry (PGD) positions can be increased to meet current demand for PGD education. The participants identified factors and conditions that they believed to be critical to the planning, development, and conduct of PGD programs with substantial linkages with managed care systems and settings. The information should be helpful to others as they consider opportunities to establish PGD programs or increase their number of PGD training positions.

Should PGY‐1 Be Mandatory in Dental Education? Two Viewpoints

“…Obviously, PGY‐1 cannot be viewed as the sole solution to improved access to care and the burden of access to care issues should not be placed on new graduates; however, if integrated well, PGY‐1 can be an effective way of giving back to the community on the part of the dental profession while simultaneously enhancing the clinical experience of the students. Two reports published in the late 1990s linked PGD programs with community‐based clinical care and managed care programs 13 , 14 . The studied programs focused on much needed primary care in both settings and offered excellent opportunities for trainees to integrate their knowledge and skills in the provision of comprehensive oral health care.…”