a RESIDENCY focusED on special needs and medically complex patients
The Swedish Medical Center General Practice Residency (GPR) aims to provide residents with an unparalleled education in hospital dentistry, with a particular focus on special needs and medically complex patients.
Our Residency
A defining feature of this practice is our passion for expanding access to high-quality dental care for all patients, including training the next generation of special care dentistry providers. As the host of the Swedish Medical Center GPR, we have the privilege of teaching advanced clinical and patient management skills.
Hospital & Private Practice Experience
The Swedish Medical Center GPR program involves two main locations: Swedish Medical Center, the largest non-profit hospital system in the greater Seattle area, and Seattle Special Care Dentistry, a private practice designed for medically complex and special needs patients. This unique affiliation allows for residents to learn not only how to best treat medically complex/special needs patients, but also how to incorporate hospital dentistry into a private practice setting. Many of our graduates obtain medical staff privileges at their local hospitals.
we encourage residents to be inquisitive, continuous LEARNERS who will become leaders in our field.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
The majority of our outpatient clinical care is performed at Seattle Special Care Dentistry, a private dental practice. Residents will have support and individual mentorship from our general dentists, pediatric dentists, endodontist, prosthodontist, and medical anesthesiologist. During this year-long program, residents will get an extraordinary amount of IV sedation and general anesthesia experience.
Clinical Experience
The program has a strong clinical focus in extractions and implant placement, IV sedation and general anesthesia, restorative dentistry, endodontics, pediatric dentistry, and removable prosthodontics.
Didactic Experience
We feature a robust didactic program, which includes biweekly lectures, weekly treatment planning sessions, and the coursework necessary to acquire an IV sedation permit. Our lecturers have been carefully selected based on expertise in their respective fields.
On-Call Experience
Residents cover the Swedish Medical Center Emergency Department via pager from home. Common emergencies include dentoalveolar and maxillofacial trauma, and significant infections.
We have curated a list of competencies that we feel our residents should be able to perform by the time they finish the program. These competency statements form the core of our evaluation process. We have every confidence that a motivated resident will be able to complete all of these competencies by the end of the program.
Application requirements
We accept five residents annually for this one-year program. Applicants must have graduated from a US or Canadian Dental School and passed the INDBE before matriculation. Selection criteria include dental school performance, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and demonstrated motivation. We are looking for applicants who will flourish in special care dentistry and incorporate this training into their careers. Interviews are required as the next step for those whose PASS applications meet our standards. For further information, please see the Swedish GPR Admission Criteria and Policies pdf.
Application PRocesS
We accept applications in PASS. Our PASS program number is GPR548. We do not participate in Match.
The PASS applications are due by September 15, 2023 with no additional materials required other than a quality photograph of yourself. You may either send a 2x2 printed image via traditional mail to our office or email a 300 DPI JPEG image to cristine@sscdentistry.com.
Earlier submission is strongly encouraged. Interviews will be held in early fall.
SALARY & BENEFITS
Swedish Medical Center prides itself in providing a competitive R1 salary. Each resident is provided three weeks of vacation per year; residents expecting to apply for specialty programs must conserve their vacation time for interviews and transfer time at the end of the year.
About our faculty
All our faculty members are trained and quality educators who have been involved in both the academic and private community. They have agreed to work in this program because they love to teach, are committed to residency training, and believe in the mission of the program.
Noah Letwin, DDS, MS, PhD
Program Director
Dr. Letwin oversees both the clinical and didactic education. He served as the assistant program director for four years before becoming the program director in 2016. Prior to becoming a dentist, Dr. Letwin earned a Master's degree in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology.
Nicholas Parque, Dds
Assistant Program Director
Dr. Nick Parque serves as the Assistant Director of the GPR program. He completed his GPR in this program and rejoined our faculty as Assistant Director. Dr. Parque works in conjunction with Dr. Letwin to provide all residents with any resource they need, including attending coverage for on-call residents.
postdoctoral programs provide wonderful opportunities for career enhancement
OUR STRENGTHS
This program features a collaboration between a major medical center and a private dental practice
Swedish Medical Center
Swedish Medical Center is the largest, nonprofit hospital system in the Puget Sound region. Swedish provides exceptional support to a multitude of residency & fellowship programs.
Seattle Special Care Dentistry
Residents learn to integrate hospital dentistry in a private practice setting and are exposed to a wide range of business management skills, including understanding insurance & billing, and how to build a practice.
Accredited bY ADA
We are fully accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation and are recognized by the Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission.
ROBUST Training
Our training in GA/IV sedation, pediatric dentistry, dentoalveolar surgery, implants, special needs, and medically complex patient care is among the finest in the nation.
EXPERT FACULTY
Our greatest asset is the quality of the faculty members who work with us--they comprise some of the finest experts we have ever found in their fields.
We can show you how to have a rewarding career Integrating Hospital Dentistry Into Private Practice
Details to consider
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Intensity
This program is clinically and didactically demanding. Residents will emerge with a much broader skill set and knowledge base than when they started.
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Professional Environment
Our residents are treated as professional colleagues. We work as a team, with all residents and attendings handling dental emergencies and taking call for the hospital.
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Licensure
Residents are issued limited licenses that apply to their duties while working in our program. A full Washington State license is not required. Residents must obtain a personal NPI number and DEA registration.
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Auxiliary Staff
Our clinics are staffed for maximum efficiency. This includes skilled schedulers, billers, and dental assistants at each location. Lab work is commensurate to that which would normally be expected of a general dentist.
