FAQs

Admission for Internationally Trained Dentists

I am a dentist in another country. Am I eligible to apply for the GPR Program?

If you completed a program of dental education in an unregistered and unaccredited foreign dental school, you MUST complete not less than two academic years of study satisfactory to the New York State Department of Education in a registered or accredited dental school program. If you have questions about acceptable programs, contact the New York State Board for Dentistry by e-mail at dentbd@mail.nysed.gov, by phone at 518-474-3817 ext. 550 or by fax at 518-473-6995.

Application Procedure Questions

When should I apply?

The earlier the applicant applies the better. The A.D.E.A. PASS Application cycle runs from approximately mid-May through the following February.

How do I apply for the program?

Application can be made through A.D.E.A. PASS or by downloading the program application on our website.

What is the application deadline for the program?

The A.D.E.A. PASS deadline for Faxton St. Luke's Healthcare is mid-December.

Selection Process Questions

When are applicants interviewed?

Interviews are generally scheduled after all required documents have been received and reviewed by the Selection Committee. Interviews are usually scheduled on pre-arranged Open House dates on Saturdays in October, November, and December.

When are candidates for residencies selected?

Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare participates in the National Matching Services. Matches are submitted in early January and match results are announced at the end of January. National Matching Services announces the schedule yearly.

Miscellaneous Program Questions

Are there tuition or fees for the program?

No.
Do I receive a stipend or will I have to pay?

Residents receive a salary that is commensurate with other General Practice Residency Programs in Upstate New York. Contact the Program Director for information on the annual stipend.

Is this GPR collaborated with a dental school? If not, why is this a benefit?

No. Residents are required to consult with attending specialists on all complicated cases rather than refer them out to a specialty clinic.

What is the patient population that you treat? Do you take insurances?

Like most GPR Programs, our patient population focuses on developmentally disabled, medically compromised and lower socioeconomic groups of individuals. As a result, the majority of patients we treat have Medicaid insurance.

What is the ratio of different age populations that the residents see on average? Do you treat special needs patients?

We treat the entire age spectrum from newborns to the geriatric population. Approximately 35% of our patients are medically compromised.

What type of medical rotations do residents do?

Rotations include: Anesthesiology, Emergency Department, Pathology & Clinical Laboratory Medicine and Ambulance.

How many attendings do you have?

There are approximately 30 volunteer attendings.

What do you consider the programs weaknesses?

No Orthodontics and limited TMJ.

What do you consider the programs strengths?

Oral Surgery; digital technology (electronic dental record, digital radiographic imaging with 3D digital imaging for impressioning to be added soon); talented and dedicated Attendings & Auxilliary Team; Full-time Program Director leadership; program organization.

How many days are the residents on-call each month?

The dental residents equally share on-call coverage. Each resident is on-call approximately one week out of every five.

What do you look for in a dental resident?

Ability to be a team player. Responsible. Willing to learn. Compassionate.

What is a typical dental resident’s day like?

Residents begin the day with a morning meeting from 7 :45 AM – 8 :45 AM. When the resident is not scheduled for a medical rotation, they will be scheduled for patient care from 8:45am to 12:30pm & 1:15pm to 5:00 pm.

Do residents see the same patients?

Yes. Residents are scheduled patients for comprehensive care. Patients receive an examination on their first visit with the resident, a treatment plan is formulated and the resident is responsible for the required treatment.

Will there be experiences with esthetics, crown & bridge, and implants?

FSLH has a grant from Zimmer Dental to supply 2 implants per resident. The residents work very closely with experienced attendings in the field of implant and crown and bridge.

How many emergencies do we see on a daily basis (during regular clinical hours)?

Walk-in (unscheduled) dental emergencies are a shared responsibility of all the dental residents in the clinical facility that day. These emergencies are worked into the schedule when patients cancel or break appointments. The number of walk-in emergencies varies from day-to-day.