Friday, June 12, 2015

Board Certified, CEs, Diplomat... English please!

So, periodically our office closes for ‘Continuing Education’… What does that mean exactly?  

Not only does our State Dental Board require a certain amount and type of Continuing Education each year for my dental license, but to remain as a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist additional is required.
  
Let me give you a little history on myself. As I have written about in previous blogs I went down a long educational pathway.  I finished my undergraduate degree with honors in education, taught special education in rural Mississippi for two years, applied and was accepted to dental school, received my Doctor of Dental Medicine degree (DMD), continued on for more education in a dental residency at Children’s Hospital of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham to become a specialist in Pediatric Dentistry and, after finishing my education, my pediatric dentistry residency, and passing my exams, I electively chose to pursue MORE education in my field by choosing to study and prepare for the Board Exam in Pediatric Dentistry. 


In order to become a Diplomate in Pediatric Dentistry, which means “Board Certified in Pediatric Dentistry”, I passed a comprehensive written examination on Pediatric Dentistry and then completed a site visit in which American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Board Examiners spent several days in my office reviewing my charts and cases, reviewing my office protocol and my staff management and sterilization procedures, and observing and grading my clinical work.  And, after all of that, I was awarded Diplomate status/Board Certification in Pediatric Dentistry by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and became a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.


The neat thing about Board Certification in Pediatric Dentistry is that it is an ongoing process.  It is a lifelong educational process that requires constant study and review.  Each year the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry requires that I complete additional continuing education in Pediatric Dentistry, pass educational modules on Pediatric Dentistry specific topics and periodically attend a 22 hour Comprehensive Review of Pediatric Dentistry as well as periodically taking (and passing) a Comprehensive Exam on Pediatric Dentistry.  In order to maintain my Certification, I must continue learning because every year there are new procedures, new materials, new ways of helping take care of my patients’ teeth that I want to learn and become expert at in order to offer my patients the best care possible.
 
That is what I do. Spend my time "off" studying and attending classes and reviewing and preparing  for the Comprehensive Exam on Pediatric Dentistry in order to renew my Board Certification.

All of this may lead a person to ask, Why did you volunteer to pursue and achieve Board Certification?


It’s simple really, continuing education and lifelong learning are high priorities for me.  I am dedicated to providing the best patient care through a commitment to lifelong learning.  Board Certification in Pediatric Dentistry gives me the opportunity to achieve and to demonstrate my dedication to excellence.