Occasionally I get some not so great information and today's post is about one of those subjects. I recently spoke to someone off the record about the profession's first digital dentistry post graduate program. The program is offered by MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) College of Dental Medicine. It is a "two-year clinical program with an emphasis on prosthodontic rehabilitations using multiple digital and analog systems to restore routine to complex patients". Doctors who complete the program receive a degree "MSD (Master of Science in Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Digital Dentistry Track).
As most of you know, I've been involved with digital dentistry since the very early days of my career and have made it my life's work to deliver information about it to the profession. Digital technologies have allowed dentistry to make incredible leaps forward. Doctors now have the opportunity to provide treatment that is exponentially better than ever before. Advancements have created 'totally digital workflows' with amazing outcomes.
I was thrilled when I learned that MUSC had started their post graduate program because that is exactly what the profession needs. Many schools currently teach a mixture of analog and digital systems. While these current educational programs allow doctors to graduate with a high degree of competency, many new graduates are then in need of learning how to incorporate the true digital aspects of practice. This normally requires a serious financial investment in continuing education. While established doctors have the financial wherewithal to do that, recent graduates are saddled with significant student loan debt. When you add to that the costs of setting up a new office, debt loads can be severe. Coming up with the money to then educate themselves about all the digital systems is often not possible.
That's why I was so excited about the MUSC program. It allows doctors to get a post graduate focus on all the digital tools and how to incorporate them together. The benefits of something along those lines would be a tremendous help to doctors and patients.
Unfortunately what I'm hearing is that the program is struggling... and that is unfortunate. Digital systems are only advancing and doctors need knowledge and exposure to these systems to be able to integrate them into their practices for maximum benefit and impact.
Hopefully what I'm hearing is only a bump in the proverbial road. Sometimes good ideas simply take a bit to catch on and any business goes through cycles of expansion and contraction. I support MUSC in their decision to setup this program and I hope it continues. The profession needs forward thinking projects like this to help prepare for the future.
I didn't get any specifics in my conversation, but I'm hoping for the best.
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