UCSF School of Dentistry’s Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program announces an expansion of its program to include two additional residents a year for a two-year track program. This expansion takes effect July 1, 2019.
This new training opportunity is a certificate-only CODA approved track available for applicants who already hold an advanced degree or a certificate in another specialty. The training sites for this program will include UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, UCSF Parnassus, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco (Mission Bay) and other sites.
Pediatric Dentistry has an existing three-year program that includes a master’s degree in oral and craniofacial sciences.
Both tracks are administered under the current Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program, directed by Thuan Le, DDS, PhD. The three-year track accommodates 15 residents. The two-year track will accommodate four residents, two in each year.
“Most other pediatric residency programs in the country are two years,” said Ray Stewart, DMD, MS, interim chair of the Division of Pediatric Dentistry. “This two-year track would align UCSF with what’s currently available.”
Training at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland will include emergency call coverage and clinical services at the hospital facilities and at the onsite outpatient dental clinic, La Clínica de La Raza (a Federally Qualified Health Center, or FQHC). La Clínica FQHC has an affiliation agreement with UCSF-BCH Oakland and UCSF School of Dentistry. All training is under the supervision of UCSF faculty.
In July, UCSF-BCH Oakland and La Clínica opened a 5,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the main hospital. The site includes eight chairs in open bay, three quiet room/sedation units, one exam/consultation room and one X-ray/panorex room.
The program’s support staff includes eight dental assistants and one hygienist at the Oakland site.
The new track offers exciting opportunities for clinicians seeking training in this rewarding specialty. The outstanding academic and clinical resources of UCSF Health Sciences and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals provide the experience and training to advance careers in academia, community public health or private practice.
In addition to the first-class academic and clinic opportunities afforded at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco, the School's affiliation with UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland provides a wealth of experience in treating pediatric dental trauma in the emergency department as well as children with other sub-medical specialties.