About the Program
The Advanced Education Program in Prosthodontics at Georgia Health Sciences University is a 35-month program leading to a certificate in prosthodontics. It consists of didactic work in the basic sciences and related clinical disciplines, and covers all aspects of prosthodontics, including fixed prosthodontics, removable prosthodontics, implant prosthodontics, and maxillofacial prosthetics. Graduates are qualified to take the examination of the American Board of Prosthodontics.
The Advanced Education Program in Prosthodontics at Georgia Health Sciences University is fortunate that the program director is committed full-time to the program. The program draws upon the talents of board-certified prosthodontists who teach our residents through lectures, laboratories, and daily clinical assignments. We also have an excellent working relationship with the U.S. Army’s Prosthodontic Residency Program, located at Fort Gordon, Georgia, only seven miles from the College of Dental Medicine. The related basic sciences and clinical disciplines, such as restorative dentistry, periodontics, and endodontics are taught to our residents by equally qualified faculty.
Admission Requirements
Dentists graduated from accredited United States and Canadian or other international dental schools that provide equivalent educational background and standing are eligible for admission to the Advanced Education Program in Prosthodontics.
Application materials are reviewed and candidates with the highest qualifications are selected for interviews based on the following criteria: dental and pre-professional education transcripts, class standing, National Dental Board Examination results, personal and career goals, experiences beyond pre-doctoral education, evidence of scholarly activity, and letters of recommendation. Applicants born outside the United States and whose native language is not English must take the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (iBT TOEFL). Minimum scores are 100, and 26 on the speaking component. No candidates are admitted to the program without a personal interview. Non-discriminatory policies are followed in selecting the applicants.
Program Fee, Stipends, Equipment and Benefits
Program Fee: There is no program fee associated with the certificate program in prosthodontics for dentists who have graduated from accredited United States or Canadian dental schools. The program fee for candidates with degrees from other dental schools is $18,500 per year. If the resident wishes to enroll in the Master of Science in Oral Biology degree program, he must pay tuition for courses taken through the College of Graduate Studies. References should be made to the Tuition and Fees section of this catalog for specific information regarding Graduate School tuition and fees.
The internationally-trained resident will complete all requirements of the Advanced Education program in Prosthodontics, thus meeting all ADA accreditation requirements. In addition, the internationall-trained dentist’s experience as a resident will include:
- Participation in the GSHU Maxi-Course in Dental Implants.
- Clinical IV sedation training and surgical experience in placing implants. These are valuable adjuncts to the certificate program, and will enable the graduate to address advanced prosthodontics in either academics or private practice from both a restorative and surgical perspective.
- Enhanced exposure to esthetic prosthodontic procedures through off-site visitations or rotations involving both observation and active participation treating patients.
Stipends: Stipends are determined annually depending upon availability of funds (if available, only graduates of US and Canadian dental schools are eligible for stipends). Augusta, Georgia is a beautiful city with a low cost of living. This makes it ideal for residency training from a financial standpoint.
Equipment: All supplies and equipment associated with clinical treatment are provided by the institution. The resident must supply certain laboratory equipment (i.e. semi-adjustable articulator with facebow, laboratory handpiece, hand waxing and porcelain application, and metal working instruments).
Benefits: The College of Dental Medicine provides malpractice insurance coverage for residents while providing patient care at Georgia Health Sciences University. This insurance does not cover any outside dental practice. Prosthodontics residents are entitled to GHSU employee holidays and 10 days vacation/personal leave per year. Prosthodontic residents are eligible to participate in the Student Healthcare Program at GHSU.
The Facilities
The College of Dental Medicine will be housed in a new facility in July, 2011. The prosthodontic program is housed in Georgia Health Sciences University’s College of Dental Medicine in a separate clinic devoted exclusively to our program. In this environment, each resident has his/her own operatory and laboratory space, and shares a private office with one fellow resident. Full time dental assistants are assigned to assist the residents in the clinic. We use both in-house laboratory support and selected commercial laboratory support.
The Master’s Program
The College of Graduate Studies offers a Master of Science in Oral Biology degree which may be taken in conjunction with the certificate curriculum. This joint program gives the student more extensive experience in research and basic science education and requires and in-depth original research project leading to a defended thesis. Tuition is charged on a per credit hour bases for the graduate courses taken. The applicant must be accepted by the College of Graduate Studies and the Department of Oral Biology. Application to the graduate program is made after acceptance to the certificate program.
A Ph.D. in Oral Biology may also be pursued concurrently with speciality training.
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