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.
