NYU Langone Dental Medicine - Tampa, FL

Overview: The NYU Langone Dental Medicine Pediatric Dentistry (PEDS) Program is a 24-month hospital- and health-center based education program that provides a strong didactic and clinical foundation in Pediatric Dentistry. Founded in 1994, by Dr. Silvia Perez-Spiess in Brooklyn, NY, the program is fully accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The curriculum emphasizes pediatric medicine and dentistry, behavioral and pharmacologic management of children, oral biology, conscious sedation and general anesthesia for both the well child and those with special health care needs. Residents train with specialists in all disciplines of dentistry including orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontics, endodontics and dental anesthesia and develop expertise in treating patients who are medically compromised.

This innovative program is a hybrid blend of a strong distance learning didactic curriculum and extensive clinical experience. Distance-based didactic learning is achieved through asynchronous web-based education modules and a state-of-the-art video teleconference system that connects residents and faculty across all sites. With ample clinical exposure to pediatric medicine, conscious sedation and general anesthesia, graduates are trained to be an integral part of the medical team and hospital environment. Additional experience in hospital dentistry, craniofacial conditions, interceptive orthodontics, research, ethics and policy advocacy successfully prepares the graduate to pursue a career in private practice, public/community health or academia.

PEDS Curriculum: In Year 1, residents study most of the core curriculum, completing biomedical courses including oral biology, pediatric anesthesia, physical diagnosis, behavioral management, pediatric dentistry series, orthodontics, craniofacial development, and research methods and materials. At most sites, residents may attend monthly craniofacial conferences. Courses, electives, and requirements include core public health subjects. First-year residents also are assigned multiple rotations including pediatric medicine, general anesthesia, emergency medicine, phlebotomy, prenatal care, and on-call services. 

In the second year, the curriculum is focused on children with complex medical conditions. Second-year residents are assigned with pediatric specialists to work in areas such as hematology, oncology, endocrinology, neurology, pulmonology, nephrology, cardiology, and immunology. Residents may rotate through nearby community health centers, Head Start/early child care centers or school-based programs to extend direct patient care to underserved children in the community.

Program Strengths: American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) Outcomes: Second year residents are required to take the ABPD Qualifying Examination (QE), the first of a two-part ABPD certification process. Over 90% of NYU Langone PEDS residents pass the QE (national average 85%). More than 70% of graduates become board-certified diplomates of the ABPD (national average 65%).

Research: Residents must complete a research project and, in Year 2, present their research posters at the annual AAPD meeting. The best research projects are also presented at the annual Research Fair in Brooklyn, NY.

NYU Langone Dental Medicine PEDS-FLORIDA:  

This residency site is affiliated with Suncoast Community Health Centers, Inc. The site has two state of the art pediatric dental clinics. The primary training site is located within the Brandon Community Health Center, and a second clinic is located within Plant City Family Care. Both pediatric clinics are equipped with Adec equipment, paperless charting, flat-panel cable TV monitors in each operatory, LED lighting, digital radiography, and paperless charting. The primary training site also includes 3D computed tomography,  and an additional anesthesia suite with a separate recovery room.  

A large emphasis is placed on sedation, general anesthesia, interceptive orthodontics, oral surgery, inpatient and outpatient pediatric medicine, special patient care, community outreach, and advocacy. The three hospitals that are affiliated with this site are a level one trauma teaching hospital, Tampa General Hospital, and two regional medical centers, South Florida Baptist Hospital and Brandon Regional. 

This residency site treats a large patient population with operating room and sedations weekly. Residents gain experience in moderate sedation using all modalities of medication administration (nasal, intravenous, intramuscular and oral). The residents complete sedation and general anesthesia cases well beyond the number required by CODA’s accreditation standards. Interceptive orthodontics is supervised by our three orthodontists, thus providing a solid foundation on the practice of orthodontics that prepares the graduate to pursue additional training in comprehensive orthodontics.     

For questions about the Tampa site, please contact Dr. Ruchi Shukla, Associate Director. Email: rshukla@suncoast-chc.org or Alma Gutierrez, Residency Coordinator. Email: AGutierrez@suncoast-chc.org.

Please upload a CV with your ADEA PASS application. 

The ADAT is not a requirement for application. If you take the ADAT we will consider your scores, but it is not a requirement for the Program.

If accepted, you must submit your dental school diploma and proof of passing NBDE or INDBE scores to the program.

Please refrain from contacting the program to verify your eligibility to apply or to check the status of your PASS application.