CDC Dental Public Health Residency Program

CDC’s Division of Oral Health (DOH) is no longer considering applicants for the 2012–2013 academic year for the Dental Public Health Residency Program. Later in 2012, we will provide information about applying for next year’s program.

Program Goal

The aim of the CDC Dental Public Health Residency Program is to produce skilled specialists in dental public health who can work collaboratively with their public health and dental colleagues in an array of health settings to achieve improved oral health for populations. Such positions could be located within health agencies, voluntary organizations, research settings, health care delivery, or financing systems. The program culminates in a certificate of completion that meets educational requirements established by the American Board of Dental Public Health for specialty certification.

Program Location and Duration

This formal training program for dentists is located in Atlanta, Georgia. The program usually starts in July of each year and extends over 12 months (full-time) or 24 months (part-time).

Admission Requirements

Each year, two qualified dentists are admitted into the residency program. Applicants must have completed a dental degree (DDS or DMD) from a U.S. dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation or a Canadian school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada. Applicants who are graduates of a school of dentistry outside the U.S. or Canada must be deemed to have equivalent education. For more details, please see the International Dentists section below.

In addition, the applicant must have completed at least one academic year of advanced training in public health and obtained a graduate degree, a Master of Public Health (MPH) or comparable degree, from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Courses for the MPH or comparable degree would include biostatistics, epidemiology, health care policy and management, environmental health, and behavioral sciences. If the applicant’s public health training was completed in an institution outside the U.S., satisfactory completion of two or more years (full-time equivalent) of advanced education in an area related to the practice of dental public health is required. The same content areas described above apply to course work completed by public health graduates from outside the U.S.

International Dentists

Dentists who have completed their dental training outside the U.S. or Canada can apply for the CDC Dental Public Health Residency Program. However, their education and degrees must be evaluated by a credentialing organization to determine equivalency to the DDS or DMD degree awarded by a U.S. dental school.

The information for three credentialing organizations is provided below. When you send your documents to one of these agencies, ask for a course-by-course evaluation.

• American Association of Collegiate Registrars (AACRAO)
  One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 520
  Washington, DC 20036
  Telephone: 202-293-9161
  Web site: http://www.aacrao.org/*
• Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
  P.O. Box 514070
  Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470
  Telephone: 414-289-3400
  Web site: http://www.ece.org/*
• World Education Services (WES )
  Bowling Green Station
  P.O. Box 5087
  New York, NY 10274-5087
  Telephone: 212-966-6311
  Web site: http://www.wes.org/*

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Score

TOEFL scores are required for applicants who received both their dental and public health degrees from institutions with a language of instruction other than English. The Computer Based Test (CBT), Internet Based Test (iBT), or the Paper Based Test (PBT) will be accepted. The following are the minimum required scores based on test type:

CBT – minimum total score of 213

iBT – minimum total score of 80

PBT – minimum total score of 550

The Residency Training Plan

Instruction within the program follows an individualized training plan focused on competency objectives developed by the American Board of Dental Public Health. These competencies are tested through the formal examination for certification in the specialty of dental public health and address the practitioner’s ability to—

• Plan oral health programs for populations.
• Select interventions and strategies to prevent and control oral diseases and promote oral health.
• Develop resources, implement, and manage oral health programs for populations.
• Incorporate ethical standards in oral health programs and activities.
• Evaluate and monitor dental care delivery systems.
• Design and understand the use of surveillance systems to monitor oral health.
• Communicate and collaborate with groups and individuals on oral health issues.
• Advocate for, implement, and evaluate public health policy, legislation, and regulations to protect and promote the public’s health.
• Critique and synthesize scientific literature.
• Design and conduct population-based studies to answer oral health and public health questions.

Each resident develops a training plan based on prior education and experience. The plan addresses competencies to be developed or refined during the training program, activities designed to achieve these improved skills, and methods or criteria for evaluating progress. Both a supervised field experience and an applied research project must be included in the plan. While the plan accommodates individual differences and considers current issues, it emphasizes applying fundamental public health principles to prevent dental disease and promote oral health.

Financial Considerations

No tuition or fees are required. Stipends for residents are provided through CDC’s Regular Fellowship Program. This program is designed to encourage training for research and advancing science related to health. In 2011, program stipends ranged up to $64,000, depending on the resident’s prior professional experience.

Although residents in CDC’s Regular Fellowship Program are not federal employees, they can access a wide array of training resources and experiences. Interested employees of other federal agencies, including commissioned officers in the United States Public Health Service, can discuss their circumstances with the Residency Director.

Residency Resources

The Dental Public Health Residency Program is sponsored by the Division of Oral Health that is a part of the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). The NCCDPHP offers an abundance of learning opportunities and has programs addressing the prevention and control of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and tobacco use, as well as programs focused on reproductive health, school health, aging, obesity prevention, and nutrition and physical activity.

Dr. Barbara Gooch, a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health, directs the CDC’s Dental Public Health Residency Program. In addition, CDC employs professionals who can contribute their expertise during the residency (e.g., dentists, statisticians, economists, epidemiologists, social and behavioral scientists, physicians, and specialists in health communication and evaluation). Residents also have access to resources of CDC including excellent library facilities, computer services, training courses, and frequent seminars and guest lectures on public health topics.

Residency Application

The applicant should make sure the following materials are submitted to the Residency Director by the deadline of February 15, 2012:

• Completed application form for the academic year 2012–2013. (Word–45K)
• Copy of curriculum vitae.
• A letter of intent describing reasons for pursuing a career in dental public health and how the CDC residency matches personal educational goals.
• Official transcripts from both dental school and graduate education in public health. The transcripts must be sent directly from the registrar’s office of the issuing institutions. Transcripts from institutions where English is not the official language of instruction must be accompanied by certified translations.
• Three letters of recommendation from persons who have agreed to serve as references (recommendation letters should be sent directly from these references; applicants should not submit these letters themselves).

In addition to the documents described above, International graduates should submit the following materials:

• Course-by-course evaluation by a credentialing organization for transcripts from educational institutions outside the U.S. or Canada.
• TOEFL score (required only from those applicants with both dental and public health degrees from institutions with a language of instruction other than English).

Selection is on the basis of academic achievement, prior experience, and congruence between CDC’s Residency Program and the applicant’s stated goals. Applicants are considered equally, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or age.

Mail your completed application to the Residency Director.

Residency Director Contact Information

Barbara F. Gooch, DMD, MPH
Residency Director and Associate Director for Science
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Division of Oral Health
Mailstop F10
4770 Buford Highway
Chamblee, Georgia 30341
Telephone: (770) 488-6054
E-mail: OralHealth@cdc.gov

* Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.

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Page last reviewed: February 29, 2012
Page last modified: February 29, 2012
Content source: Division of Oral Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion