Residency Program in Pediatric Dentistry
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
160 E Erie Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19134
Phone: (215) 427-5213
Fax: 215-427-6679
Email: michael.suchar@towerhealth.org
Program Length and Number of Positions
The Pediatric Dental Residency Program at St Christopher’s is a 24 month program, commencing July 1 of each year. Seven positions are offered each year.
Program Type
Hospital-based certificate program
Application
The application deadline is October 15 of the year preceding matriculation. Correspondence regarding application and admission procedures should be addressed to:
Karen Rutledge, Pediatric Dental Residency Program Coordinator
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Department of Dental Medicine
160 E. Erie Avenue Philadelphia, Pa. 19134.
E-mail: karen.rutledge@towerhealth.org
The program participates in the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS) and the National Matching Service
Description
The basic training objectives for the Department of Pediatric Dentistry are to educate graduate dentists for clinical practice and to prepare them for certification by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. The first year of the program addresses itself to six main areas of specialty training. These include: comprehensive dental care for the routine pediatric patients, including orthodontic diagnosis and treatment of the early and mixed dentitions, hospital procedures, dental and oral trauma, pediatric dental medicine, and preventive dentistry. In order to achieve these goals, first year residents complete rotations through the Department of Pediatric Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, and Oral Maxillofacial Surgery. Each resident also has the experience of treating children on the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a mobile dental facility that serves the local community.
The second year is designed to increase responsibility and challenge the trainee. These objectives are accomplished by assigning the resident to the Special Needs Clinic, Department of Hematology, and Department of Emergency Medicine. This allows for total involvement in dentistry for the handicapped and/or medically compromised child. In addition, second year residents rotate through the Pediatric Clinic at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry in order to gain teaching experience with the dental students. A second year resident will be selected as the chief dental resident in charge of all in- patient dental care and throughout the year will be responsible for teaching the first year residents.
The residents are expected to develop expertise in hospital protocol. It is intended that by graduation they be totally familiar with all aspects of pediatric dentistry practiced within a hospital environment. They should be familiar with admission notes, orders for pre/post-operative care, utilization of consultation services, and all the techniques required to render dental care to patients under the effects of a general anesthetic. It is further intended that residents by the end of their training shall have a thorough understanding of the role of dentistry in the interdisciplinary approach to developmental disabilities. In order to accomplish this, the second year of residency is spent learning about dentistry's role in the care of children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, craniofacial disorders, central nervous system disease and injury, and many other acquired and development.
Curriculum
Clinically, the residency provides training in routine pediatric dental care, emergency dental treatment, dental care of the physically and mentally handicapped, interceptive orthodontics, cleft palate care, dental management of the oncology patient, and oral rehabilitation utilizing general anesthesia. A team approach for the diagnosis and treatment of craniofacial and dentofacial anomalies are staffed by the department, as in a program for the treatment of children with cerebral palsy. Training in the pharmacology and physiology of anesthesia and the technique of administration is provided through a one-month, full-time assignment to the Department of Anesthesiology. The patient population is equally divided between well children and children with significant medical histories. There is a close liaison with all medical and surgical departments encouraging free exchange at all times.
The didactic curriculum encompasses dental radiology and oral pathology seminars, a growth and development seminar, clinical application of head and neck anatomy, seminars in pediatric medicine, a weekly case presentation, a lecture series on endodontics and dental pulp, and seminars in all aspects of pediatric dentistry given by the dental faculty.
Program Stipend and Tuition
The stipend for 2020-21 Resident year is $59,903 for the first year and $62,068 for the second year. Tuition is not required. Hospital house staff benefits can be viewed here.
Facilities
- St Christopher’s Hospital for Children
- Temple University - Kornberg School of Dentistry
- Ronald McDonald Mobile Dental Van
Admission Requirements
Applicants must have the following to be considered for admission:
- D.D.S. or D.M.D. from a CODA accredited North American dental school.
- PASS application.
- Recent photograph.
- Personal interview.
Program Strengths
- Outstanding hospital environment with established dental role.
- Extensive clinical expertise in the well child and medically compromised child.
- Heavy involvement with medical services within the Hospital and the affiliated institutions.
- Strong Operating Room experiences.
Program Faculty
Michael J. Suchar, D.D.S., Director, Department of Dental Medicine
Program Director, Pediatric Dentistry*
Richard Clark, D.M.D., Associate Program Director, Pediatric Dentistry*
David Metroka, D.D.S., Pediatric Dentistry*
James Murphy, D.M.D., Pediatric Dentistry*
Michael Bianchi, D.D.S., Section Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery*
Andrew Kantor, D.M.D., Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery*
Thomas Nordone, D.M.D., Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery
Nataly Apollonsky, M.D., Hematology*
Alan Evangelista, Ph.D., Medical Microbiology *
Evan Geller, M.D., Radiology*
Paul Glat, M.D., Plastic Surgery*
Gregory Halligan, M.D. Oncology*
Deepti Raybagkar, M.D. Hematology*
Elizabeth Suarez, M.D., Endocrine*
*Board-Certified
School Profile
| Program Type: | Hospital-based Certificate |
| Program Director: | Full-Time |
| Program Faculty: | 2 Full-Time 4 Part-Time 6 Board Certified |
| Program Length: | 24 Total Months July 1 Start Date |
| Program Accreditation: | Approved |
| State Licensure: | Restricted License Available |
| Number of Entering Positions: | 7 |
| Tuition In-State: | |
| Tuition Out-Of-State: | |
| Salary/Stipend: | 59,903 First Year 62,068 Second Year |
| Application: | October 15 Deadline |
| Participant in National Matching Service: |
Yes |
| Participant in PASS: | Yes |
| Only US citizens from ADA accredited dental schools considered: |
No |
| US citizens from foreign dental schools considered: |
No |
| Non-US citizens from ADA accredited dental schools considered: |
Yes |
| Non-US citizens from foreign dental schools considered: |
No |
| Acceptance Applicant Ratio: | |
| Clinic Experience: | Orthodontics Conscious Sedation Hospital Rotations General Anesthesia Emergency Call Operating Room Oral Surgery Infant Oral Health Medically Compromised Mentally Disabled Craniofacial Disorders Physically Disabled Public Health Minimal and Moderate Sedations Special Health Care Needs Behavior Guidance |
| Didactic Experience: | Seminars Literature Review Courses Case Conferences Lectures |
| Research Requirement: | Data Collection Project Case Report |
| Teaching Experience: | 8 Clinic Half-Days 5-6 Lecture/Presentations |
| Facilities: | 19 Chair/Operatories 4 Clinic Receptionist 8 Dental Assistants 1 Dental Hygienists |