Curriculum

The General Practice Residency program affords an opportunity for the recent graduate to obtain advanced education and training in comprehensive general dentistry within both an ambulatory and a hospital environment. This one-year residency program (with an optional second year) is specifically designed to enhance the resident's abilities and confidence in fully treating the total patient while familiarizing themselves with other aspects of the hospital health service as they work in close relationship with other members of the health care team. The development of high professional standards in ethics, attitudes and performance is stressed.

The goals of the program are to prepare the graduate to:

• Act as a patient's primary oral health care provider, treating or managing all aspects of oral health care, including emergency and multidisciplinary comprehensive oral health care.
• Plan and provide multidisciplinary oral health care for a wide variety of patients including patients with special needs.
• Manage the delivery of oral health care by applying modern concepts of patient practice management and quality improvement that are responsive to a dynamic health environment.
• Function effectively with other health care professionals in the hospital and other health care environments to facilitate the patients' total health care.
• Actively participate in critical thinking analysis and evidence based care and utilize this knowledge in treatment decisions and continuous quality improvement.
• Utilize the values of professional ethics, lifelong learning, patient-centered care and adaptability in clinical practice.

Residents entering this program can expect to receive advanced training in:

• Diagnosis and treatment planning
• Restorative dentistry
• Implant dentistry
• Fixed and removable prosthodontics
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery
• Endodontics
• Periodontics

The residency is clinically oriented with much time devoted to areas of training where limited experience is available in dental school. The majority of the resident’s time is spent providing dental care. The remaining time consists of various non-clinical didactic experiences and the following rotations:

• Ryan White Community Service
• Cardiology (Consults & Heart Failure)
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Oral Surgery
• Radiation Oncology
• Family Medicine
• Anesthesia
• ENT

For more information, review our Program Description (PDF). 

The University of Louisville's General Practice Residency Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of approval without reporting requirements. 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 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611.