Program Overview

One of the most important aspects of the Section of Dentistry is its dental General Practice Residency program. This program has existed since 1968, and serves as a training period for dental graduates who desire to further their education beyond what the dental school curriculum provides. The program stresses advanced education and training in all aspects of dental care, but especially stresses care of the medically-compromised patient.

Dental residents share many responsibilities with their medical colleagues. Their hospital responsibilities include evaluation of hospital in-patients as well as treatment of patients with dental needs prior to surgery, including transplantation. These responsibilities also include alleviation of pain for patients who are hospitalized and have no other access to dental care. Rotations include two months in the department of Anesthesiology, and one month each with Otolaryngology and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. These rotations provide a valuable background for the future, hospital-based practice of dentistry. The residents spend close to six months providing outpatient, ambulatory care as well.

At the end of the one year program, the residents are well-equipped to move into a hospital-based dental practice, or to provide high-level dental care in a private dental office which may include the care of patients with medically-compromising conditions. Often, these patients find it difficult to obtain care from dentists without the advanced training provided by the General Practice Residency.

At this time, the program at RUSH accepts two residents per year. The positions are highly sought by many of the top graduating dental students, in part because of its reputation and history of producing dentists who score well above the national average on the year-end comprehensive examination taken by all general practice residency graduates. In addition to the program certificate, RUSH graduates complete ACLS requirements and most qualify for the Category A Anesthesia permit in the State of Illinois. The program is fully accredited by the American Dental Association Accreditation Committee.

Program Goals

1. To prepare residents, through didactic instruction and clinical experience, to become providers of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient general dentistry services at a level beyond that achieved in their pre-doctoral education
2. To train residents to become primary care providers for diverse groups of patients, including those with special needs and complex medical problems, through the delivery of emergency and comprehensive oral health care in a hospital setting. To train residents to diagnose, evaluate and treat inpatient and ambulatory patients with a wide variety of medical and dental challenges
3. To instill in residents a commitment to lifelong learning and professional development through the growth of critical thinking skills and faculty mentoring through the preparation and presentation of lectures as well as the critical review of literature, evidence or outcomes-based clinical decision-making and technology-based information retrieval systems
4. To provide extensive clinical, didactic and hospital opportunities for interdisciplinary interaction between the resident and other health care providers
5. To create an awareness of the dental professional’s role in community service by providing a variety of experiences on and off the hospital campus.
6. To provide clinical and hospital experience and community service in comprehensive and emergency oral care to a wide range of patients with regard to dental complexity, medically, physically and mentally compromising conditions, including age (geriatric and pediatric) and socioeconomic status (indigent and privileged)
7. To understand the oral health needs of communities and engage in community service.