General Practice Residency in Dental Medicine

McGuire VAMCThe General Practice Residency in Dental Medicine is a two-year postdoctoral training program at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia. Residents develop the experience and skills needed for total care of the dental patient, emphasizing management of patients with a variety of complicating medical conditions. Residents will perform all aspects of Dentistry including Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics, Dental Implant placement and restoration, surgical and non-surgical Periodontics, Endodontics, Oral Surgery and Restorative Dentistry. Treatment is delivered in the facilities of the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, with some rotations at the VCU Hospital and the School of Dentistry. Medical rotations will include Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Endoscopy. The faculty includes representatives from each of the dental specialties, and consulting physicians. Competence in the evaluation and management of patients with medical disorders is a major objective of the training program.

Goals and Objectives

This General Practice Residency is designed to provide training beyond the level of pre-doctoral education in oral health care, using applied basic and behavioral sciences. The program is based on the concept that oral health is an integral and interactive part of total health. This program is designed to expand the scope and depth of the graduates' knowledge and skills to enable them to provide comprehensive oral health care to a wide range of population groups.

General Practice Residency Photo 3 CropThe program will prepare the graduate to:

  1. Act as primary care provider for individuals and groups of patients. This includes:
    providing emergency and multidisciplinary comprehensive oral health care; providing patient focused care that is coordinated by the general practitioner; directing health promotion and disease prevention activities.
  2. Plan and provide multidisciplinary oral health care for a wide variety of patients, including patients with special needs.
  3. Manage the delivery of oral health care by applying concepts of patient and practice management and quality improvement that are responsive to a dynamic health care environment.
  4. Function effectively within the hospital and other health care environments.
  5. Function effectively within interdisciplinary healthcare teams.
  6. Apply scientific principles to learning and oral health care. This includes using critical thinking, evidence or outcomes-based clinical decision-making and technology-based information retrieval systems.
  7. Utilize the values of professional ethics, lifelong learning, patient centered care, adaptability, and acceptance of cultural diversity in professional practice.
  8. Understanding the oral health needs of communities and engage in community service.

General Practice Residency Photo1 crop

An experienced and capable teaching staff of generalists and specialists from all disciplines will aid the resident in refining previously learned skills and techniques in clinical dentistry. The full time attending staff and part-time staff members will provide an improved understanding of the important inter-relationships between underlying or associated medical disorders to oral disease and dental treatment. Working in a hospital setting permits and actually mandates that the dental resident communicate effectively and work directly with other health professionals. Aside from an active clinical experience the general practice resident will be involved and be expected to participate in a structured academic program. This consists of formal lectures, seminars, teaching rounds, conferences and house rounds. At all levels, there will be adequate backup of more senior residents, attending staff and specialists when needed. A combined or team approach to care delivery and consultation is stressed.

Basic Requirements for Application

  • All applicants must be U.S. citizens.
  • All applicants must be enrolled in or recent graduate of a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association.
  • All applicants must be proficient in the English language.
  • All applicants must pass NBDE II and be eligible for state licensure prior to the start of the program.

Application Process

The first step in applying to this program, for which there are two positions available, is to complete the information requested by the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS Application) and have your information sent to this program.

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and candidates will be ranked based on cumulative GPA, class standing, NBDE Part I scores, personal statement, and recommendations. Selected candidates will be invited to interview for the program during October and November.

Program Objectives

General Practice Residency Clinical Rotations

Program Directors

Dr. Katherine Heggestad Martin, D.M.D.General Practice Residency Photo2 crop
VA Medical Center 160
1201 East Broad Rock Road
Richmond, VA 23249
Phone: 804-675-5000 x5251

Dr. Raymond A. Green, D.D.S.
VA Medical Center 160
1201 East Broad Rock Road
Richmond, VA 23249
Phone: 804-675-5000 x5251

American Dental Education Association (ADEA)

Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center