Observership in Periodontology for Foreign-trained Dentists

Program Description

The Observership in Periodontology for Foreign-trained Dentists is considered a “continuing education” course and a tuition fee is required to attend. Observers do not receive graduate school credit but will receive a certificate of attendance upon completion of the program.

The observership follows the exact schedule of the periodontics residency program, and observers attend all classes/seminars that residents attend. The only difference is that observers’ clinical activities are limited to assisting and observing, while residents provide direct care to patients.

An observership of at least six months may also be combined with research activities for interested and qualified individuals.

Length of Program

The periodontics observership is a fixed-duration program of three, six, or nine months; three months is the shortest period for which applications are considered and nine months is the longest.

Benefits to the Foreign-trained Dentist

The Ohio State observership offers many benefits to foreign-trained dentists including:

• exposure to U.S. dental clinical practices
• exposure to advanced periodontal and implant surgery procedures, at a surgery-intensive program of a major U.S. academic health center
• help in the decision about whether or not to pursue a formal residency in the U.S.
• an opportunity to practice and perfect English language skills
• the reasonable cost of living in Columbus, Ohio, a fast-growing metropolitan center of 1.7 million people

After attending the program, most of our past participants decided to pursue and then successfully completed a formal periodontal residency (certificate) program in the U.S. Others opted to pursue a U.S. dental (DDS) program for foreign-trained dentists (advanced standing program). Past participants represent the global dental community. Dentists from Brazil, China, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey have participated in this program.

To Apply

If this educational opportunity is of interest to you, please contact the program director, Dr. Dimitris Tatakis, at tatakis.1@osu.edu.