General Practice Dental Residency Program

Residency Program Overview

The General Practice Residency (GPR) begins July 1 each year.

The GPR focuses on comprehensive and emergency dental care for Veterans with a wide variety of oral health needs.

Through clinical training and experience, residents enhance their skills in treating medically, physically, and mentally compromised patients.

Didactic Program

While the residency is primarily a clinical experience, didactic learning opportunities are included. Seminar, literature review, and treatment planning conferences continue throughout the year.

The attending staff is committed to lifelong learning and to improving the quality of dental care.

Oral Surgery

Three months of the resident year are devoted to oral surgery and emergency care (on-call duty). Surgery cases range from outpatient to hospital admissions. Residents gain operating room experience by treating patients in the OR, and by rotating on the Anesthesia Service for an additional two weeks.

Residents provide consultations to medical center physicians and regularly interact with other health care personnel.

A two-week rotation in Emergency Medicine exposes residents to urgent care and internal medicine. Thus, residents have ample opportunity to integrate their knowledge of dentistry and medicine in the hospital setting.

Duty hours are variable while on-call, in the OR, and on anesthesia rotation.

General Dentistry

Residents practice general dentistry for eight months of the training year. Each resident is assigned an operatory fully equipped for four-handed dentistry.

Dental laboratory services range from simple to advanced prosthetics, both removable and fixed. General dentists, as well as specialists, are available for consultation.

Specialties include periodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics and oral maxillofacial surgery.

Regular dental clinic hours are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays.

Program Goals and Objectives

1. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to provide multidisciplinary, comprehensive and emergency oral health care that is coordinated by them.
2. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to obtain informed consents on a variety of patients.
3. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to function effectively within interdisciplinary health care teams, including consultation and referral.
4. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to direct health promotion and disease prevention activities.
5. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to assess, diagnose and plan for the provision of multidisciplinary oral health care for a wide variety of patients including patients with special needs and medically compromised.
6. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to coordinate and manage the delivery of patient-focused oral health care.
7. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to provide advanced dental treatment modalities in the specialties of prosthodonitcs, endodontics, oral surgery, periodontics and implant dentistry.
8. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to provide restorative treatment of single teeth at a complexity that exceeds the level accomplished in pre-doctoral training.
9. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to restore/ replace teeth with fixed prosthodontics at a complexity that exceeds the level accomplished in pre-doctoral training.
10. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to replace teeth with removable prosthodontics at a complexity that exceeds the level accomplished in pre-doctoral training.
11. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to diagnose, treat and manage periodontal disease at a complexity that exceeds the level accomplished in pre-doctoral training.
12. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to provide endodontic treatment at a complexity that exceeds the level accomplished in pre-doctoral training.
13. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to perform oral surgery treatment at a complexity that exceeds the level accomplished in pre-doctoral training.
14. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to evaluate and treat dental emergencies at a level beyond that accomplished in pre-doctoral training.
15. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to provide pain and anxiety control utilizing behavioral and pharmacological techniques at a level beyond that accomplished in pre-doctoral training.
16. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to manage medical emergencies.
17. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to manage dental implants.
18. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to manage oral mucosal disease.
19. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to manage temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain.
20. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to manage occlusal disorders.
21. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to perform thorough physical evaluation and medical assessment.
22. At the completion of the program the resident will have had training and experience that will ensure they are able to manage same-day surgery patients.
23. To provide training to prepare residents for practice management.
24. At the completion of the program the resident will be able to critically review relevant scientific literature.

Pay and Benefits

• The stipend for residents is highly competitive and is adjusted regularly
• Annual leave (vacation) is generous and federal holidays are observed
• Health insurance plans are available
• Professional liability is assumed by the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center
• Scrubs, lab coats, and laundry service are provided

Application

Application materials are due by October 15. A personal interview is required. Interviews are generally conducted in November and December.

In addition to the standard application materials, the following items are required:

• Small photograph
• Curriculum vitae
• Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program code number

These documents should be sent directly to:

Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center
Residency Director
Dental Service (160)
1700 N. Wheeling Street
Aurora, CO 80045

303-393-2823
888-336-8262

Admissions Procedures

Admission to the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center GPR is highly competitive. Candidates must be citizens of the United States and must provide proof of expected graduation from an accredited North American dental school.

Appointments will be made without regard to ethnic origin, sex, or creed. Application is made through Postdoctoral Application Support Service of the American Association of Dental Schools (PASS):

PASS/AADS
1625 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036-2212
Telephone: 800-353-2237

The Rocky Mountain VA Medical Center also uses the National Matching Services which matches programs and applicants. The match is usually complete in January.

National Matching Services
P.O. Box 1208
Lewistown, NY 14092-8208
Telephone: 716-282-4013