Dentistry Residency
The Zablocki VA Great Lakes Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Residency is a one-year post-doctorate dental education program with an optional second-year. The AEGD Residency is intended to facilitate the professional growth of the recent dental graduate. It is designed to mentor competency, proficiency, and confidence in various dental specialties; manage medically compromised dental patients and to help the resident function effectively in multiple dental settings in a hospital environment, as well as, an outpatient facility.
For over 40 years the Clement J. Zablocki Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin has provided excellence in post-doctorate dental education. In 2013, the Milo C. Huempfner Community Based Outpatient Clinic located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, opened, enabling our AEGD program to extend educational opportunities at a second site. Our current educational staff is extremely proud to continue this heritage of providing quality care. Currently, the Clement J. Zablocki VAMC in Milwaukee enrolls three to four AEGD Residents each year and the Milo C. Huempfner CBOC in Green Bay enrolls two AEGD Residents
The objective of this Residency is to enhance the professional growth and development of individuals who desire to be exceptional primary dental health care doctors and are not satisfied with simple procedural mechanics. The residency is patient oriented and clinically focused. Chair-side instruction is an educational priority. Our goal is to help each resident refine their clinical skills, achieve their dental competencies and challenge their clinical understanding and decision-making capabilities.
Our Clinics
The staff at both sites are comprised of full-time and part-time General Dentists, as well as Periodontists, Prosthodontists, and Oral Surgeons. All training is conducted under the direction and supervision of full-time and part time staff. Interested residents may pursue program enhancements through the departments of Anesthesia, Medicine and Emergency services. Attending instructors are educationally qualified and are present during clinic and lecture sessions for consultation.
Lectures are conducted throughout the year to build upon the knowledge gained from dental school. Residents will learn new and different clinical procedures, but training goes beyond the “how-to” focus of dental school and provides the opportunity to understand treatment rationales. New developments are explored through current literature review and comprehensive patient management seminars. Both sites have access to the VA library to review past and current dental and medical journals.
Each resident is provided their own operatory which is fully equipped with the dental armamentarium to render comprehensive care. Comprehensive care includes restorative dentistry, periodontal care, prosthodontic, and endodontic treatment. Our Milwaukee and Green Bay Dental Clinics both have state-of-the-art in-house labs where each resident can learn from and receive direct input from full time lab technicians. Both laboratories contain multiple scanners, milling machines, and a 3D printer enabling a majority of lab work to be performed in-house.
Applications
Applicants may apply during their senior year of dental school. The applicant must be enrolled in or a graduate of an American Dental Association accredited dental school and have passed parts I and II of the Dental National Board. Applicants must be United States citizens. A state license in not required but it is encouraged.
Applications may be filed through the Postdoctoral Applications Support Service (PASS) sponsored by the American Association of Dental Schools. This system relieves the applicant of completing multiple and repetitive applications to individual programs by allowing the applicant to file one standardized application with this centralized service. Please note, this program simply facilitates the application process and has no impact upon the selection process. Information and PASS application forms and instructions can be obtained online at https://www.adea.org/.
Please note: This program does NOT participate in the National Matching Service (MATCH) sponsored by the American Association of Hospital Dentists.
Candidates are selected based upon academic records, letters of recommendation, and a personal interview.
Zablocki VA Great Lakes AEGD Residency Information
The program is demanding. Residents are expected to use non-clinic time to review journal articles, prepare treatment plans, and create presentations. Our residency is neither a “fifth year” of dental school nor a year of unsupervised practice. The patients are complex and the standards are high. It is expected that residents will work efficiently as the needs of our veteran population are extensive with an emphasis is on quality, not quantity. The dedicated and energetic resident will find unlimited opportunities to excel. The Zablocki VA Great Lakes AEGD Residency is committed to training the next generation of dental health care leaders.
The prospective resident is reminded that significant variation exists between accredited programs in terms of personnel, resources, and patient demographics. The prospective resident must assess programs on an individual basis to determine whether the program structure and personality will satisfy their objectives in seeking additional professional education. A personal visit and interview is essential to achieve this goal.
Any questions or correspondence can be directed to:
Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center
c/o Dental AEGD Program Director
5000 W. National Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53295
richard.kaplan@va.gov