Residency Program in Pediatric Dentistry

Program Length and Number of Positions

This is a 24-month program commencing July 1st of each year. Five positions are offered each year; all with stipends.

Program Type

24 month university based program awarding a Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry.

Application

The application deadline is September 1^st of the year preceding matriculation. Correspondence regarding application and admission procedures should be addressed to Dr. Heidi Steinkamp, Residency Program Director, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, 202 Dental Science Building South, Iowa City, IA 52242 or e-mail heidi-steinkamp@uiowa.edu.

Description

The program in Pediatric Dentistry fulfills the requirements for advanced education in pediatric dentistry as approved by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Dental Association. Upon completion of the program, the student meets all eligibility requirements for the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. The program addresses all aspects of contemporary pediatric dentistry. Furthermore, the program has been designed to emphasize development in the following areas:

• Leadership skills.
• The development of confidence in rendering dental services in a hospital environment and in understanding the needs and managing the treatment of children with special health care needs.
• The development of an intellectually self-confident, independent, adaptable pediatric dentist with skills that make them effective agents of change at local, regional and national levels.

Curriculum

The curriculum for Iowa’s advanced specialty education program in Pediatric Dentistry is designed to exceed the educational requirements set forth in the Accreditation Standards for Advanced Specialty Education Programs. Residents participate in seminars, lectures and clinics for successful program completion and in preparation for the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry certification exams. Other aspects of the curriculum include a rotation in pediatrics and pediatric acute care; pediatric physical diagnosis; a rotation in anesthesia; cephalometrics; and orthodontic diagnosis and treatment. There is a core of courses that have been designed to help acquaint the pediatric graduate student with research design and methodology. Additionally, any student desiring a consultative or supervised relationship with dental educators in other specialties will find that such arrangements can be made. There is also extramural experience in various Iowa community public health clinics.

Program Stipend and Tuition

• First-year stipend up to $30,000*
• Second-year stipend up to $32,000*
• Tuition* and mandatory fees are paid by the Pediatric Dentistry Department.

*Tuition and stipends can only be awarded to citizens of the United States.

Facilities

We see and treat patients in 7 different locations in Iowa City: 

1. Department of Pediatric Dentistry, UI College of Dentistry
2. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
3. University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital
4. Center for Disabilities and Development
5. Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research
6. Muscatine Community Health Center
7. Iowa City WIC Clinic- Johnson County Public Health

Clinical Activities

Residents treat patients in our clinics at the College of Dentistry, the Muscatine CHC, as well as at the Center for Disabilities and Development. The patients we treat include children of all ages and individuals with special health care needs. The residents take part in Iowa LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities). ILEND is an interdisciplinary leadership training program for graduate students with a commitment to providing culturally competent, family-centered, coordinated systems of health care and related services to children with special health care needs and their families. Faculty and residents are very active in caring for patients at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) and the Stead Family Children's Hospital of Iowa. Responsibilities include consultation for inpatients with dental needs, screenings for patients who are going to be receiving bone marrow transplants, evaluation of newborn infants having difficulties feeding, and the fabrication of palatal plates for infants who are intubated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. In addition, we treat patients at the UIHC under general anesthesia, if they are unable to receive care in the traditional dental setting. Residents have multiple rotations at the UIHC, including:

• General Anesthesia
• Genetics
• Pediatric Medicine
• Hematology/Oncology
• Cleft Lip and Palate Team

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have available the following items to be considered for admission.

1. U.S. Citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR).
2. D.D.S., D.M.D. or non-U.S. equivalent.
3. PASS application. The application can be requested from the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) PASS Application Services Web Site - https://portal.passweb.org/.
   PASS Application Services has two phone lines for applicant inquiries: (202) 667-1886 and (202) 667-1887 or you may write to: PASS, 1625 Massachusetts Ave, N.W., Washington DC. 20036-2212.
4. National Board Dental Examination -- Part I prior to interview; Part II prior to admission.
5. Personal interview - by invitation.
6. National Matching Service "MATCH" Number.

Program Strengths

1. Extensive training with patients with special health care needs.
2. Fundamental knowledge of the philosophy, principles and practices of dental public health.
3. Strong research opportunities and nationally recognized didactic training.
4. Contemporary clinical facilities. 
5. Well trained auxiliary staff.
6. Faculty with diverse research/scholarly interests.
7. Tradition in excellence.
8. Close working relationship with the Department of Pediatrics and other medical services.
9. Multiple full-time faculty dedicated to teaching pediatric dentistry with varied backgrounds in the clinical field.
10. Access to interdisciplinary oral health care including many dental specialties, pharmacists, and social workers on site.