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Second-Year General Practice Residency Program in Special Care Dentistry

The special care population consists of patients with mental retardation, developmental disabilities, psychiatric and physical disabilities and complex medical conditions, as well as the geriatric population. While many patients can receive dental care on an outpatient basis, a large number require treatment in the operating room setting.

Due to their complex needs, patients with special needs face considerable difficulties in obtaining dental care. Unfortunately, few dentists are comfortable providing care to this rapidly growing patient population.

The second year GPR at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine is an intensive one-year program dedicated to advanced training in providing comprehensive dental care to the special needs population.

Program Director Dr. Ali M. Abbas
abbasal@sdm.rutgers.edu
Program Type Accredited Advanced General Practice Residency
Program Length 12 Months

Mission and Goals

  • The mission of the program is to expand knowledge and experience for dentists with regards to treating special needs patients with extensive treatment plans and/or significant medical/management problems.

    • To train a dentist to practice in ambulatory and hospital settings to treat special needs patients:
      • interact effectively with the hospital medical team and use hospital resources
      • evaluate and treat various special needs
      • manage patients in ambulatory, same-day surgery, and in-patient settings
    • To advance knowledge and skills in oral health care through a strong academic program that trains a dentist to deliver comprehensive quality patient care
    • To recognize, evaluate, and manage medical emergencies that can occur during dental treatment of the special needs patient
    • To create an ongoing interest and awareness of new developments in clinical practice in oral health care for special needs patient
    • To encourage residents to participate in community service

Program Information

The program is located on the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) campus in Newark. RBHS is also home to the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM), Rutgers School of Health Related Professions, Rutgers Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers School of Nursing, and the University Hospital.

Patients are treated in the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine's - Special Care Treatment Center. The resident will rotate through various medical services, including anesthesia, internal medicine, and specialty clinics such as the Autism Center. Residents participate in a very active operating room program for special needs patients with extensive treatment plans and/or significant medical/management problems.

The program has a dedicated faculty trained in providing comprehensive care to special needs patients. Dental School faculties are active in clinical and basic research and resident participation is encouraged.

  • Prerequisites for the GPR-2:

    • Graduation from an ADA-accredited dental school
    • Completion of a minimum of one year postdoctoral training in either:
      • GPR
      • AEGD
      • Postdoctoral (specialty) program

    Specific questions with regard to the admissions requirements or any other aspect of the Advanced General Practice Residency at RSDM should be addressed to the Program Director:

    Dr. Samuel Quek
    queksa@sdm.rutgers.edu   

  • An intensive didactic and clinical program that builds on the PGY-1 Experience is integrated to provide the resident with the theoretical and practical armamentarium necessary for the scholarly practice of dentistry in this special needs group. The resident undergoes training in:

    • All aspects of general dentistry for the special needs patient
    • Medical risk assessment and application of its principles in dental treatment of the special needs patient
    • Behavior management and the role of pharmacologic interventions in patient care
    • Dental treatment planning for the special needs patient
    • Comprehensive dental care in the operating room, under sedation or general anesthesia
    • Interrelationships with medical and dental professionals in a variety of specialty areas

  • The PGY-2 will continue to take on on-call responsibilities and participate in more leadership. This will include oversight and scheduling, as well as a reduced on-call load commensurate with the PGY2 status. On-call is still an in-person responsibility and includes nightly on-call on weekdays and 24-hour calls on weekends/holidays, albeit at a reduced frequency.