General Practice Residency
Advanced Training Program in Dentistry

Welcome | Director's Message | Program Objectives | Curriculum | Faculty | Faculty Guest Lecturers | Rotations
Community Service | Salary and Benefits | Clinic Staff | Meet the 2007-2008 Residents
Application Process | Criteria for Resident Selection | Non-Discriminatory Policy

Welcome

Director's Message

L. Stanley Brysh, DMD, FAAHD, DABSCD

Welcome to the Meriter GPR Web page. You have reached an important decision point in your career. The following information is designed to give you some insight into the advantages of a General Practice Residency. Some of these important advantages are available in nearly all accredited programs:

• Exposure to and treatment of the medically compromised patient.
• An opportunity to complete dental cases of greater complexity than those you were able to complete in dental school.
• Additional medical training to enable you to adequately diagnose and treat medical emergencies.
• Exposure to complex trauma cases.
• Exposure to a wider number of pathology cases.
• A starting point for pursuing hospital dentistry as a career.
• A starting point for entry into a specialty program.

• Efficient, high-quality, one visit endodontics using rotary instrumentation and warm gutta percha filling techniques.
• How to surgically place and restore implants.
• Rapid, high-quality crown and bridge techniques.
• The precepts and techniques needed to perform accelerated dentistry.
• Exposure to numerous active private practitioners through our office visitation program.
• How to understand the business of dentistry.

Program Objectives

1. To prepare residents, through didactic instruction and clinical experience, to become providers of comprehensive 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.

3. To foster an attitude of community service in residents through the patient care of under-served population groups, involvement in community service activities and patient education, and faculty example that will be continued by the resident after graduation.

4. To increase the resident's ability to effectively manage the delivery of oral health care by instructing him/her in current patient and practice management skills and quality improvement techniques.

5. To instill in residents a commitment to lifelong learning and professional development through the growth of critical thinking skills and faculty mentoring.

Specifically, the program is designed to:

• Increase clinical speed and efficiency in procedures involving all aspects of general dentistry.
• Develop practice management skills.
• Improve diagnosis and treatment planning of all phases of dentistry with respect to administering comprehensive dental treatment in the context of a patient's total health care needs.
• Develop an in-depth understanding of medicine and the relationship between systemic disease and the proposed dental treatment.
• Develop the ability to provide dental treatment to patients with underlying medical conditions.
• Enhance the ability to recognize and manage common medical/dental emergencies.
• Develop confidence in functioning both within a hospital setting and as a member of the health care team via consultation with other health care professionals.
• Develop proficiency in medical history taking and physical examination techniques.
• Enhance knowledge of diagnostic laboratory values and the ability to request and interpret proper tests and values.
• Enhance knowledge of current pharmacological therapeutics and the relationship to dental treatment.
• Enhance knowledge of current dental literature and develop the skill to communicate with colleagues through case presentations and discussions.

Curriculum

Patient treatment by Dental Residents is performed in the Max W. Pohle Dental Clinic at Meriter Hospital. The clinic is a new, well-equipped facility that resembles a private practice. A tray system is used for most instrument set-ups and a variety of supply materials are available for resident use. Teaching staff specialists and general practitioners are scheduled in the clinic on half-day rotations Monday through Friday. The number of patients requesting treatment in the clinic far exceeds the needs of the program. All patient appointments are scheduled in advance, with the exception of emergency patients. Disruption of the normal schedule is minimized by the development of rapid diagnostic skills and increasing utilization of dental assistant expanded duties as the year progresses. All patients accepted for treatment at the clinic are assigned to a specific resident. Each resident is responsible for continually monitoring the progress of his or her group of active patients. Training is given in the following areas throughout the year: General Practice Endodontics Implant Dentistry Cosmetic Dentistry Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Practice Management Periodontics Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics Orthodontics Pediatric Dentistry Emergency Care Patient Hospital Admissions Inpatient Consultations Operating Room Dentistry The didactic program consists of: Lectures by the dental teaching staff. Patient care conferences with the Director to discuss and develop treatment plans and monitor the progress of patient care. Journal Club sessions at which the residents abstract current journal articles. Dental Staff meetings in which residents give formal case presentations to the teaching staff. Research Presentation – each resident selects a topic and prepares a formal oral and written presentation to the Department of Dentistry at the end of the residency year. In addition, a variety of medical conferences and seminars are held each month at Meriter Hospital. Residents are encouraged to attend and participate in any presentations that are of interest to them. Residents also attend the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, local dental society meetings and select continuing education courses.

Faculty

The following 24 faculty members educate residents in all areas of dentistry and practice management. Each one is a full time private practitioner and attends the clinic on at least a monthly basis.

Faculty Guest Lecturers

Rotations

• Anesthesiology – a two-week rotation at Meriter Hospital.
• Physical Diagnosis – independent study sessions with one-on-one instruction and practical experience.
• Emergency Medicine – a two-week rotation at Meriter Hospital Emergency Services.
• Temporomandibular Dysfunction – A lecture series, supplemented with clinic observation at the University of Wisconsin Medical Center TMD Clinic.
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – Clinic observation and interaction with OMFS faculty in their private practice.
• Faculty office visitations.

Community Service

The Max W. Pohle Dental Clinic is proud of its long history of service to the community. While the program emphasizes preparation for private practice, graduate residents are expected to continue contributing to the public as they progress through their careers. The late Dr. Max Pohle and the faculty serve as excellent examples of the balance needed in a successful practitioner between business success and treatment of the underserved.
 
During the year residents participate in a county-wide school sealant program, community health checks that include oral examinations, a school nurse program that allows them to treat school children with acute dental needs and no financial resources, and much more.

Salary and Benefits

• Health and dental insurance at a reduced rate
• Malpractice insurance
• Disability insurance
• Tax-deferred annuity programs
• Use of an exercise facility
• Other benefits

Residents also receive two weeks paid vacation.

Clinic Staff Highly skilled and experienced dental auxiliaries are an integral part of the program. Each resident can expect chairside assistance over 95% of the time.

Meet the 2007-2008 Residents

	David A. Besley, DDS davidbesley@hotmail.com University of North Carolina "As I looked for a general practice residency, my chief concern was to find one that was geared to training general dentists rather than working as a bridge from dental school to oral surgery residency. The Meriter GPR has fulfilled that expectation. The clinical experiences have been excellent and have reflected the diversity seen in private practice general dentistry, and the faculty (a diverse group of general dentists and specialists) coverage has enabled me to undertake procedures I would not have attempted in my first year of private practice dentistry. The clinical setting is comfortable and inviting, the support staff is experienced and friendly, and the surrounding community is a great, beautiful place to live. I have no doubt that I will be a much more well-rounded and experienced clinician entering private practice next year than I would have been even after several years of private dentistry experience. This confidence leaves me with no question that the decision to pursue this GPR has been the right one for me."
	Brent A. Killian, DDDS killianbrent@hotmail.com Marquette University "My experiences at the Meriter residency program have been great. After graduating from dental school I didn't realize how much more there was to learn about practicing dentistry. Although I was comfortable with basic dental procedures, this program has allowed me to expand my services to the specialty areas. I am now comfortable performing efficient endodontic procedures, oral surgeries, and rendering care for emergencies. I have had a satisfactory exposure to both the placement and restoration of implants. I have increased my diagnostic skills and clinical speed, while simultaneously improving the quality of my dentistry. I have been exposed to a wide array of dental conditions and oral pathologies, and a wide variety of patients. Treating patients in the operating room has also been a very satisfying experience. The faculty and staff at Meriter have been incredibly helpful. The specialists and general dentists have helped me on a daily basis, but also have encouraged me to treat patients without their assistance, which has resulted in my becoming a confident practitioner. Working with assistants and a front desk staff has allowed me to focus more on dentistry. The GPR at Meriter has provided the cornerstone of my dental education, and I feel that because of the residency I will be a satisfied and successful general dentist."
	Ryan A. Long, DDS rallie75@hotmail.com University of Nebraska "The GPR program at Meriter is everything I have been looking for in a post-graduate program. It has given me the opportunity to improve my clinical efficiency and enhance my knowledge of general dentistry through providing comprehensive dental care on a daily basis. The program also provides many opportunities to perform advanced clinical procedures with each of the different specialties. I have appreciated the exposure to dental trauma, endodontics, and implant placement that the program provides. This residency is also fortunate to have a very dedicated group of experienced specialists and general practitioners. These individuals are generous enough to take time from their own busy practices to share tips and techniques that have been successful for them over the years. Their mentoring has really expanded my ability to treatment plan and manage complex dental cases. We are also very fortunate to have an experienced and friendly clinical staff who help residents learn to work with a hygienist, assistants and front desk personnel. I believe this residency will be a great transition from dental school to private practice and will make me a more well-rounded dentist. The dedication of the faculty and staff at Meriter provide an excellent educational opportunity for the residents, and is a testament to the dedication and leadership of the program director. I would highly recommend the program to any graduating dental student looking for an opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills prior to entering private practice or a specialty program."

Application Process

Criteria for Resident Selection

The Meriter Hospital GPR Selections Committee evaluates the following criteria to establish an applicant's suitability for the residency program:

• Grade point average
• Class rank
• National Board scores
• Letters of recommendation
• Applicant essay
• Extracurricular activities
• Resident interview
  

Non-Discriminatory Policy

10/26/2007