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

Abstract

This Point/Counterpoint considers whether a general dentistry postgraduate year one (PGY-1) residency should be required for all new graduates who do not pursue specialty training. Currently, New York and Delaware require PGY-1 for dental licensure, while other states offer it as an alternative to a clinical examination for obtaining licensure. Viewpoint 1 supports the position that PGY-1 should be mandatory by presenting evidence that PGY-1 residencies fulfill new graduates' need for additional clinical training, enhance their professionalism and practice management skills, and improve access to care. The authors also discuss two barriers-the limited number of postdoctoral positions and the high cost-and suggest ways to overcome them. In contrast, Viewpoint 2 opposes mandatory PGY-1 training. While these authors consider the same core concepts as Viewpoint 1 (education and access to care), they present alternative methods for addressing perceived educational shortcomings in predoctoral curricula. They also examine the competing needs of underserved populations and residents and the resulting impact on access to care, and they discuss the potential conflict of interest associated with asking PGY-1 program directors to assess their residents' competence for licensure.

Should Live Patient Licensing Examinations in Dentistry Be Discontinued? Two Viewpoints

“…Stakeholder organizations such as the ADA, American Student Dental Association (ASDA), and American Dental Education Association (ADEA) have endorsed the discontinuation of live patient initial licensure exams 26 – 28 . There has been growing evidence to support that assessment alternatives are viable options and provide an answer to organizations’ calls for removal of the traditional format 4 , 6 , 7 , 29 . We believe that there is ample evidence for state boards and testing agencies to discontinue the live patient clinical exam and adopt alternative means by which candidates can prove they are worthy of a license to practice.…”

“…Another major flaw in the residency model for licensure is the number of positions that would be needed to satisfy the number of graduates each year. In 2016, Dhar et al described the major economic and administrative burdens of creating sufficient postgraduate training positions for all dental graduates 6 . Those authors noted that, in 2014–15, an estimated 1,800 training positions would be available for 6,000 dental graduates.…”