Dental General Practice Residency Program

The VA San Diego Healthcare System is an acute care medical and surgical hospital that offers a one-year Dental General Practice Residency Program following the Accreditation Standards

established by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (ADA).

At VA San Diego Healthcare System, there are a total of four dental residents each year and the program is accredited by the ADA. The curriculum is designed to broaden the expertise of the

general dentist in all the dental disciplines, manage medically compromised patients, and gain familiarity with hospital protocol and procedures, including the treatment of inpatient and

same-day surgery patients.

The purpose of this program is to provide the graduate dentist with the opportunity to advance his or her dental education and clinical experience to a level beyond that accomplished in

pre-doctoral training. The program also provides the opportunity to experience general dentistry practice within the hospital environment, employing a greater level of physician-dentist

interaction. Emphasis is upon dental treatment of the medically complex patient.

The major portion of the program is devoted to providing comprehensive dental care with an emphasis on diagnostic techniques and therapeutic skills. Emergency dental treatment is also

provided. The program balance is subdivided into three internal blocks: 6 months of prosthodontic/restorative dentistry, 3 months of endodontic training, and 3 months of oral surgery

training. During these rotations, the sole focus will be on that specific dentistry facet. Lectures, seminars, and clinic supervision are regularly provided by the medical center's attending

staff. The program is under the direct supervision of the Director of the General Practice Residency Program.

The resident program begins on July 1 and continues for 52 weeks, with 14 days of paid annual leave and 10 paid federal holidays. The program emphasizes clinical training in endodontics,

oral medicine, oral surgery, periodontics, prosthodontics, and restorative dentistry. In addition, there are off-service assignments in anesthesia, emergency medicine, and head & neck

surgery.

The resident will receive supervised practical experience in the following:

The residents will be under the supervision of the attending physicians.

The residents will be under the supervision of the attending physicians.

The didactic program comprises about 10% of the resident's time. The didactic program includes lectures, seminars, literature reviews, medical risk assessment, and case presentations; also,

there is the opportunity to attend various local professional meetings.

Upon completion of the program the resident will be able to act as a primary oral health care provider for:

Upon 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 with special

needs. (Those patients whose medical, physical, psychological, cognitive, or social situations make it necessary to modify normal dental routines in order to provide dental treatment for

that individual). These individuals include, but are not limited to, people with developmental disabilities, cognitive impairment, complex medical conditions, significant physical

limitations, and/or other vulnerable populations.

Upon completion of the program, the resident will be able to manage the delivery of patient-focused oral health care relating to the patient's social, cultural, behavioral, economic,

medical, and physical status.

Upon completion of the program the resident will be able to provide the following at an advanced level of skill and complexity beyond that accomplished in pre-doctoral training.

Upon completion of the program, the resident will be able to manage (diagnose and treatment plan the need for care and coordinate the delivery of that care) the following:

The program will provide the resident with formal instruction in physical evaluation and medical assessment to include:

The program will provide the resident with instruction in practice management principles.

The program will provide the resident with an understanding of the hospital's organization, function, and credentialing process.

The resident will receive training and experience in the management of inpatients or same-day surgery patients to include:

The program will ensure that students/residents can apply the principles of ethical reasoning, ethical decision-making, and professional responsibility to the academic environment, research,

patient care, and practice management.

Residents will provide after-hours dental call services by long-range pager, which is provided. Call responsibility is shared among four dental residents. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs assumes professional liability (under Tort Reform) for treating veterans within the Hospital facilities only.

The applicant may apply through the PASS service. We participate in the MATCH. The program deadline is posted on the PASS website, ADEA PASS - Applicants | ADEA.

 Dr. Andre Soumekh, DDSVA San Diego Healthcare System Dental Service (160)3350 La Jolla Village Drive San Diego, CA 92161 fax: mailto: [email protected]

The program in general practice residency is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department

of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at 312-440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678. 

The Commission on Dental Accreditation has accredited the postdoctoral program in general practice residency. However, this education area is not one of the American Dental Association

recognized dental specialty areas. Therefore, dentists graduating from this program cannot announce that they are specialists, as recognized by the American Dental Association.