Welcome to the Children's Hospital of Michigan Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program. This page contains useful information that we hope will answer many questions applicants may have about our program. Please find our contact information and a set of frequently asked questions below.
Thank you for your interest and do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions about the program!
Does the program accept international students?
The program only accepts applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States of America, and citizens of Canada who are eligible for a TN visa.
Does the program accept applications from graduates of foreign dental schools?
The program only accepts applicants who have graduated from a predoctoral dental program in the United States of America or Canada that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The program does not consider applicants who have graduated from an international dental school.
What are the state requirements for potential applicants?
All applicants must be eligible for a dental license in the State of Michigan by the start of their anticipated training date. Information on license eligibility can be found here: LARA DENTIST EDUCATIONAL LIMITED LICENSING GUIDE
What is the day-to-day clinical experience like during my training?
Day-to-day training primarily takes place at a private pediatric dentistry outpatient clinic that is separate from the hospital. Under faculty supervision, residents provide general preventive and restorative treatment, post-op follow-up, and walk-in emergencies. Unless otherwise assigned elsewhere for the day (e.g., rotations, in the OR), residents will train at this site on a daily basis.
Training at this site takes place Monday through Friday during clinic hours (e.g., 8am-4pm, 10am-6pm) with residents having their own patient column. Residents may see between 4-8 patients per day at this clinic with patient volume varying based on training experience (e.g., first vs. second year in the program).
Due to the clinic having its own patient base, residents can expect providing continuity of care to patients seen here.
The clinic also has an in-house suite for providing treatment under general anesthesia.
How many operatories are housed in the outpatient clinic?
At the outpatient clinic, there are ten operatories in individual rooms; all operatories are equipped with their own N2O delivery system. Additionally, the outpatient clinic is equipped with two OR / general anesthesia rooms.
Do residents gain significant experience placing space maintainers?
Residents regularly place space maintainers. They get experience with chairside Denovo unilateral space maintainers and have the opportunity to fabricate unilateral space maintainers in the lab. Residents also regularly lab-fabricate and place bilateral space maintainers.
What type of exposure to patient with special health care needs should I expect?
The metro Detroit area has a large population of children with medically complex and/or special needs. Residents are routinely exposed to patients with significant medical and behavioral challenges both in the outpatient clinic and at Children's Hospital of Michigan.
What specialty experiences in pediatric dentistry will I complete during my training?
Residents provide consultations in two clinics:
Cleft and Craniofacial Anomalies Clinic: Residents participate in a multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial clinic that provides training in identifying oral care deficiencies, pathology of craniofacial disorders, abnormal development of facial structure, treatment planning, and coordination with other medical specialties.
Hemostasis and Thrombosis Clinic: As part of a multidisciplinary clinic, residents provide oral health consultations for pediatric patients presenting with bleeding disorders at Children's Hospital of Michigan.
Additionally, residents also provide dental consultations for multiple pediatric departments within Children's Hospital of Michigan (e.g., neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, cardiology, hematology and oncology, infectious disease).
What rotations outside of dentistry will I complete throughout the program?
Residents complete rotations in six pediatric departments at Children's Hospital of Michigan during their first year in the program.
Pediatric ambulatory care.
Pediatric anesthesia.
Pediatric emergency department.
Pediatric infectious disease.
Pediatric otolaryngology.
Pediatric plastic surgery.
What type of training will I receive in treatment involving sedation?
Under faculty supervision, residents will be instructed in oral sedation. Sedation training will predominately take place in the outpatient clinic; however, sedations may also take place in the hospital.
During the first year of training, residents can also expect to attend the AAPD Safe and Effective Sedation for the Pediatric Dental Patient Course.
On average, how many sedation cases can I expect to complete during my training?
Although case volume varies per resident each year, on average the graduating residents will have completed 50-70 oral sedation cases as the primary operator at the outpatient clinic prior to graduation.
Does the program train residents in the use of IV sedation?
No, the program does not train residents in the use of IV sedation.
Where are operating room cases conducted and how often are residents in the operating room each week?
Operating room cases take place at Children’s Hospital of Michigan on a dedicated schedule. Typically, residents are assigned to the OR 2-3 times per week on a rotating basis. Residents complete cases alongside program faculty. OR cases are also conducted in the operator room suites at the outpatient clinic with an anesthesiologist.
On average, how many operating room cases can I expect to complete during my training?
Although case volume varies per resident each year, on average the graduating residents will have completed 40 - 60 operating room cases as the primary operator prior to graduation.
Do residents share patients in the operating room?
Typically, residents work in the OR as the primary operator under the supervising attending. Residents do not ‘share’ patients in the OR.
What is the on-call schedule like for residents?
Residents rotate through on-call on a weekly basis with residents taking call from home. When receiving a call, residents are expected to come into the hospital and to work with the on-call attending to determine the necessary course of treatment.
Residents are not expected to remain at the hospital or stay overnight during their on-call assignment; however, they are expected to be present at the hospital any time during the 24-hour 7-day call week.
How does the program provide didactic training to residents?
Residents are provided didactic training through multiple pathways:
Weekly Journal Club: On a weekly basis, residents review and discuss a variety of selected readings and articles (e.g., AAPD Handbook, AAPD Core Curriculum, Pediatric Dentistry) and core-related articles from other disciplines.
Structured Courses: The program provides structured courses from internal and external faculty in topics based on the curriculum requirements set forth by CODA requirements.
Invited Speakers: Throughout the year, speakers are invited to give presentations on topics relevant to pediatric dentistry (e.g., child abuse, professional advocacy, law and ethics).
Are residents required to complete a research project to graduate?
Yes. CODA requirements mandate that residents complete a research project and that the project is presented at a scholarly forum. All residents are expected to complete a research project and present their findings at the AAPD Annual Session during their second year in the program.
What is the annual salary for residents in the program?
As of July 2024, the salary for residents is as follows:
First-year residents: $59,004
Second-year residents: $60,774
Do resident receive any additional financial support during their training?
Residents receive an annual educational stipend of $2,500 in addition to their annual salary. This money can be used for various educational needs, such as textbooks, training-related travel and conferences, training-related equipment (e.g., loupes), and computer hardware (e.g., laptops, tablets).
Additionally, residents receive an annual stipend of $600 to help cover costs for food when working at the hospital.
Incoming residents will receive an additional stipend during orientation week, which takes place a week before the official July 1 start date.
Can residents wear their own scrubs?
Residents are welcome to wear their own scrubs when working at the outpatient clinic. The hospital provides scrubs when working in the hospital/OR.
Are isolite/isovac systems utilized?
The residents have the option to utilize DryShield isolation system in the outpatient clinic and the operating room.
How safe is the hospital when coming in for on-call support in the evening/night hours or over the weekend?
On-call support takes place at Children's Hospital of Michigan, which has its own parking garage attached to the hospital. When coming in during late night hours for an on-call case, residents are able to park in the garage and walk directly into the hospital. In the unlikely case residents need to walk between separate hospitals on the downtown DMC campus, there is a set of interconnected tunnels that allows safe and quick travel between hospitals.