I’m just curious about whether dentists have to go through any standardized postdoctoral training the way that MDs do. IIRC, MDs have to go through an internship and then a residency at a hospital, all of which make take some years. Dentists do many of the same sorts of things that doctors do, only mostly limited to the mouth. They can prescribe drugs, and within the mouth can perform some kinds of surgery, but one never hears of dental interns or dental residents.
Where do dentists get their clinical training in the field, before being turned loose to practice on their own?
I work for a very large multispecialty clinic which includes a department of dental specialties. They do prosthodontics, orthodontics, and oral surgery. Each specialty has a pack of residents, so dental residents do exist.
My Sister-In-Law is a Dentist, and she had to go through a residency. I remember that she worked in an Emergency Room for awhile. I don’t know any other details, since at the time she wasn’t my sister-in-law. She’s now a teacher at a big dental school in Conneticut.
Interesting. What made me wonder is even when I’ve been worked on by young dentists, they seem very knowledgeable and experienced, instead of seeming as if they grabbed their diplomas on Saturday and hung out their shingles on Monday.