Dental Residency Program

Our staff resources include two oral surgeons, one endodontist, three general dentists, one periodontist, one maxillofacial prosthodontist, three prosthodontists, with all individuals being experienced in hospital dentistry. Additionally, the program utilizes the services of off-station consultants to supplement the instructional curriculum.

Location, availability of patients, and staffing has directed the major emphasis of the program towards the management of the medically compromised dental patient. This is not to imply that the dental disciplines are not stressed. Indeed the resident has the opportunity to gain significant experience in all disciplines with the exception of pedodontics and orthodontics. (Limitations being placed on these by our regulating authorities and the nature of our patient population.)

Organizationally, the program is divided into clinical, didactic, and administrative areas.

• The clinical phase or clinical rotations of the program comprises the bulk of the curriculum. It includes twenty-four weeks assigned to general dentistry, 12 weeks in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and rotations through anesthesiology (4 weeks), dental oncology (5 weeks) and emergency room medicine (2 weeks). The dental oncology rotation takes place at MD Anderson Cancer Center located in close proximity to our facility. During the general dentistry rotation the resident works one-on-one with our periodontist for one day a week for 6 months and with our endodonist for one half day a week for two months. The objectives of all clinical rotations are provided later in this packet.
• The didactic activities support the clinical aspects of the program. There is a rather intensive history and physical course taught at the VA. Other lectures are held in conjunction with the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston GPR and AEGD programs and include a wide variety of topics emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to treating our patients. Monthly the residents present formal treatment planning cases to our VA professional staff and other VA residency programs.
• The administration of the program is based around the need for documentation of curriculum, resident evaluations, and the commitment to evaluate the program on a continuing basis as a means of change and improvement.  Residents participate in formal quarterly reviews of the program curriculum and objectives and take an active role in the selection of new residents. Continuing throughout the residency year, staff dentists, rotation mentors, and the program director evaluate resident on stated professional and clinical standards. This is done to provide the Program Director and staff with a continual flow of information that can be used to improve the program and the individuals involved in it.

The program’s overall objectives are to graduate residents that are able to:

1. Evaluate, diagnosis, manage and treat ambulatory, non-ambulatory and medically compromised patients through a multidisciplinary oral health care approach geared towards the practice of general dentistry.
2. Function effectively within the hospital and other health care environments.
3. Continually strive to expand their dental knowledge base by critically reviewing literature thereby improving their clinical skills.
4. Evaluate and treat most dental emergencies.
5. Appreciate the importance of providing dental resources to the community (i.e. community service).

In conclusion, the program will graduate residents that are well-trained hospital dentists with a good command of general dentistry, confident in their abilities, and knowing their limitations. The program provides them with an excellent basis for future professional development in general dentistry or specialty training.

Stipend: $62,000 (approximate) 

VA is committed to an aggressive, affirmative policy to ensure equal employment opportunity and advancement to all qualified persons. Federal antidiscrimination laws are followed and enforced. Both the letter and the spirit of equal opportunity are observed in employment, assignment, and training opportunities. Federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex national origin, age (40 and over), or mental or physical disability.  

There are several steps that must be accomplished to apply to our residency. These are as follows:

1. Contact the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (MATCH) and obtain an identification number. MATCH may be reached at natmatch.com or by phone at or .
2. Register in the ADEA Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS) and have your information package forwarded to our program and any other programs in which you choose to apply. Phone: 202-289-7201
3. Send a small personal photograph of yourself as an email attachment to Dr. Stephen Seder.  

The deadline for receipt of a completed PASS application is October 15, 2025. Any applications received after this date will not be considered for matriculation.
 
Minimum requirements for consideration are:

• U.S. or Canadian residency status,
• students or graduates of ADA accredited dental schools,
• successfully passing the Integrated National Dental Board Examination (INDBE)
• three Professional Evaluation Forms (PEFs) from dental school faculty, and
• placement in the upper half of your dental school class.

After review of your credentials presented in the PASS package, offers for interviews will be extended and conducted in December.

If you should have any further questions or concerns, please contact:

Dr. Stephen Seder
Program Director
Email: StephenJ.Seder@va.gov
Phone: 713-791-1414, ext. 224337 or 713-794-7187

Five weeks of Dental Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center

The objectives for the Dental Oncology rotation are:

1. Gain experience in the diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer
2. Understand a dental service's role in the treatment of problems arising from malignancies, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and/or surgery    

Four weeks of Anesthesiology

The objectives are to gain instruction and experience in:

1.     Pre-anesthetic evaluation
2. Pharmacology of anesthetic and sedative agents
3. Venipuncture and techniques of administration of intravenous and anesthetic agents
4. Patient monitoring and airway management
5. Anesthetic induction and intubation
6. Post anesthetic care (recovery)
7. Prevention and management of anesthetic emergencies

Two weeks of Emergency Room Medicine

The objectives are to:

1. Anticipate medical emergencies
2. Recognize medical emergencies that may happen during dental procedures
3. Gain experience in the treatment of medical emergencies
4. Gain experience in obtaining and interpreting the patient’s chief complaint, medical, and social history, and review of systems
5. Gain experience in obtaining and interpreting clinical and other diagnostic data from other health care providers
6. Gain experience in using the services of clinical, medical, and pathology laboratories
7. Gain experience performing a history and physical evaluation and collect other data in order to establish a medical assessment

12 weeks of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

The objectives of this rotation are to gain instruction and experience in:

1. Simple and complex exodontia
2. Pre-prosthetic surgery
3. Operating room procedures
4. Physical exam and diagnosis
5. Admitting procedures
6. Sedation and anesthetic technique
7. Evaluation and treatment of facial trauma
8. Medical risk assessment
9. Participation in rounds

24 weeks of General Dentistry:

The objectives of this rotation are to:

Periodontics 

• Demonstrate competency in diagnosis of periodontal disease
• Demonstrate competency in treatment planning of periodontal disease
• Demonstrate competency in non-surgical periodontal procedures (e.g. probings, scaling/root planning, etc.)
• Demonstrate competency in surgical periodontal procedures (e.g. flap design, crown lengthening, gingivectomies, etc.).

Endodontics

• Demonstrate competency in diagnosis of endodontic disease
• Demonstrate competency in treatment planning of endodontic disease
• Demonstrate competency in nonsurgical endodontic procedures (e.g. pulpectemies, obturation of canals probings, etc.)
• Demonstrate management in surgical endodontics procedures (e.g. flap design, apicoectemies, etc.)

Removable & Fixed Prosthodontics, Operative and Treatment of Dental Emergencies

• Demonstrate competency in problem solving (Application of Knowledge to clinical situation)
• Demonstrate competency in caliber of patient work-ups
• Demonstrate competency in caliber of patient treatment plans
• Demonstrate competency in overall technical ability.

Stipend: $62,000 (approximate)

Health Benefits and Life insurance are available.

Malpractice Liability coverage is provided.

Stephen J. Seder, DDS, MS
Staff Prosthodontist
Program Director, General Practice Residency
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
Dental Service (160)
2002 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, TX 77030
Office phone: 713-791-1414, ext. 224337
Front desk phone: 713-794-7187