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A message from the director

In order to deal effectively with this challenging environment, and flourish in it, dentists need a richer base of knowledge and skills than in the past. Dentists need the abilities and competencies to assess the constantly changing landscape of the health care system, and to traverse it successfully.

A Call for the Future

At Lutheran Medical Center we believe there are compelling reasons for today’s dental graduates to consider a residency program. Dentists, like other health care professionals today, find themselves in a much more complex environment than their predecessors. In order to deal effectively with this challenging environment, and flourish in it, dentists need a richer base of knowledge and skills than in the past. Dentists need the competencies to assess the constantly changing landscape of the health care system, and to traverse it successfully.

Despite remarkable improvement in the oral health of many Americans, dentists will remain responsible for the recognition, prevention, management, treatment, and evaluation of caries and periodontal diseases. They will work in closer collaboration with physicians and other health care providers in the management of the pharmaceutical needs of an aging population, birth defects and developmental disorders, oral and pharyngeal cancers, HIV/AIDS, and other chronic and disabling conditions. The Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health and other recent evidence establishing links between oral health and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and low birth rate, among other health problems, provide an even more compelling rationale to pursue postdoctoral training.

Oral health, so essential to general health and well being, eludes many in our society. For example, the highest rates of dental caries affect children and families with lower incomes and lesser education. At the same time, many children and young people with developmental or chronic conditions are unable to find access to any dental care, regardless of economic or educational background. Dental needs often overwhelm the health care resources available to many communities. We at Lutheran Medical Center believe deeply in our obligation to serve our communities and we dedicate ourselves to fulfilling this mission as creatively as possible.

Lutheran Medical Center also commits itself to providing an excellent and supportive environment for educating residents in the respected traditions of medicine and dentistry. Modern facilities, a superb faculty, and plentiful educational resources foster a dynamic and satisfying educational experience. We take pride in the quality and inventiveness of our programs and the professional guidance provided during this important phase in your career. We encourage you to explore our programs and look forward to welcoming you to Lutheran.

Neal Demby, DMD, MPH
Director, Department of Dental Medicine

The Virtual Classroom Community and Core Curriculum

Lutheran Medical Center has established an innovative, interactive television teaching network between the main site in Brooklyn and other sites whether in New York or Hawai`i. Over ten years ago, we seamlessly integrated distance learning into our core curriculum. In 2003, we expanded the distance learning curriculum via live video teleconferencing to include the pediatric dentistry curriculum. Compressed video conferencing allows residents to participate weekly in a shared academic program in a “virtual classroom” whether they are in New York City, the Hudson River Valley, Tucson, Providence, or Honolulu.

Lutheran formed a partnership with the schools of dentistry at Columbia University and the University of the Pacific to combine resources and apply new technologies to strengthen our respective residency programs. We are collaborating to design distinguished educational programs that will link Lutheran in Metropolitan New York with more than 75 residents in sites in several states. The collaboration places these programs on the cutting edge of graduate dental education. Having participated in a virtual classroom community, graduates leave our programs prepared to use contemporary communication and business technology in daily office operations and continuing education.

Residents in the General Practice Residency (GPR) and AEGD programs participate in Lutheran’s core curriculum. First-year pediatric and first-year endodontic residents take part in relevant academic elements of the core curriculum. This aspect of the educational program provides concentrated advanced training in treatment planning, oral medicine, oral pathology, endodontics, periodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and asynchronous online literature reviews in endodontics, prosthodontics, and sedation and pain control.

The academic curriculum also focuses on pediatric dentistry, geriatric dentistry, special care patients, and materials science. Residents learn the newest information in implant dentistry and many gain experience placing implants. Included in the core curriculum are current concepts in esthetic dentistry, pain control and sedation, orthodontics, preventive dentistry, and medical emergencies in dental practice. Residents study the principles of dental practice management and practice administration but more importantly have many opportunities to apply in daily practice the principles of the psychodynamics of dental care, managing decisions and choices of care, quality management, and ethics.

In the GPR program, there are also required minimum clinical rotations in endodontics, geriatrics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthetics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine, and orthodontics.

All first-year residents (and second-year residents who did not study at Lutheran Medical Center during their first year) take a five-hour introductory methods and materials in research course. This class covers topics such as basic dental informatics and on-line searches; evidence-based dentistry; evaluation of patient outcomes; and critical evaluation of the literature. A more in-depth course in methods and materials for research is attended by the pediatric and endodontic dental residents and all second-year general dentistry residents. These classes cover epidemiology and research methods; statistics; data analysis and practical research design; writing a biomedical paper; writing a research proposal; presenting papers at scientific meetings; submitting a paper for publication; and troubleshooting research problems. These residents together with medical residents complete a research project under the continuing guidance of the Office of Clinical Research and present their findings at Lutheran’s Annual Research Fair. Interested first-year general dentistry residents may voluntarily participate in a research project.

Residents at Lutheran conduct journal clubs to keep abreast of current research and learn to use an evidence-based approach to critical reviews of the dental literature. Residents learn to integrate research into daily practice and lay the foundation for a lifetime dedicated to providing scientifically based oral health care.

Program Requirements and Application Information

Lutheran Medical Center accepts applicants to dental residencies through the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS). Applicants should confirm and observe the PASS deadlines listing on the PASS website.

Non-U.S. citizens are responsible for securing their own student visas through the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Applicants to the AEGD or GPR programs who do not use PASS must send the following materials independently:

1. Curriculum vitae
2. A personal essay describing your goals for applying to the program
3. Dental school transcript(s)
4. Dean’s letter of recommendation
5. Two letters of recommendation from clinical faculty
6. Scores for Part I, National Dental Board Examination
7. 2” x 2” photograph

Lutheran participates in the National Matching Services (MATCH) program, excluding the endodontic program and dental anesthesiology; therefore, we can only consider candidates registered in the program before the MATCH deadline. At our discretion, we may pursue unmatched applicants if there are open resident slots after MATCH closes.

Lutheran Medical Center offers dental residents a competitive annual salary; medical, dental, and professional liability insurance; four weeks vacation; legal and personal holidays; and specified leave for continuing education. Residents must follow the policies and procedures of Lutheran Medical Center and/or the site of their assignment. Lutheran provides due process for issues concerning employment conditions and disciplinary matters.

Dental externships

We encourage potential applicants to visit our clinical training sites or participate in a short-term dental externship program with us. These visits allow applicants to gain first-hand insight into our programs and the range of opportunities available to our residents. Lutheran has formal externship affiliations for students:

• New York University
• Columbia University
• University of Pennsylvania
• State University of New York at Buffalo
• State University of New York at Stony Brook
• University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
• Tufts University
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Medical College of Georgia
• University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey (UMDNJ)
• University of Puerto Rico

Students from other dental schools and others can arrange visits independently with us by contacting the program. Information on bloodborne pathogen, radiation safety, and OSHA policies are consistent with applicable local, state, and federal requirements, and are available to applicants on request. Please contact specific program directors for further information.

For further application information, contact:

Lutheran Medical Center
Department of Dental Medicine
150 55th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11220
Telephone: 718.630.7152
www.lutheranmedicalcenter.com