​Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program (AEGD)

About the Program

US/Canadian Applicants  Internationally-trained Applicants

The Advanced Education in General Dentistry program is 12-month program with an option for a second year and begins on July 1 of each year.  This program provides students with rigorous didactic and intensive clinical training designed to prepare a dentist to practice independently in general dentistry. Upon successful completion of the program, residents and students receive a Certificate in General Practice Dentistry from Columbia University. 

The College of Dental Medicine's Advanced Education in General Dentistry clinic serves the needs of a large and diverse population. As students progress through clinical training, they have the opportunity to treat a large number of patients who present with a wide range of comprehensive care problems and require increasingly complex diagnoses, treatment plans, referral schedules, and medical consultations. The clinical faculty, most of whom are successful practitioners in New York City, have received their training from many different universities and bring vast clinical experience to share with their students.

Program Goals

In the first year residents serve as primary care providers for patients with complex medical and dental needs, including patients with special needs. This includes evaluation of medical and dental histories, assessment of patient presentation, arrival at appropriate diagnoses and creation of treatment plans. In additiona, residents will:

  • Provide patient-centered care that includes multiple disciplines of clinical dentistry and manage patient care that is coordinated by the general practitioner
  • Direct health promotion and disease prevention activities
  • Use advanced dental treatment modalities in patient care delivery
  • Manage the delivery of oral health-care by applying concepts of patient and practice management and quality improvement that are responsive to the changing health-care environment. 
  • Function effectively within interdisciplinary healthcare teams
  • Apply scientific principles to learning and oral health-care including critical thinking, evidence or outcomes-based clinical decision-making, and technology-based information retrieval systems
  • Employ the values of professional ethics, patient-centered care, adaptability, and acceptance of cultural diversity in professional practice
  • Understand the oral health needs of communities and engage in community service

In the optional second year, residents manage complex patients with an increased focus on implantology and delivery of care for patients who need collaborative practice with other disciplines. Second year residents may instruct first year residents in patient care delivery as assigned.  

Academic Program

The didactic program includes core biomedical science courses and intermediate and advanced courses in multiple disciplines of general dentistry, providing the knowledge base and analytical skills needed by  future general dentists as well as the life-long learning abilities to continue professional growth throughout their careers. 

Program Details

Application Information

To apply to the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program, eligible candidates are required to submit an application through the American Dental Education Association Postdoctoral Application Support Service (ADEA-PASS). 

Full-time Faculty

Vicky Evangelidis-Sakellson, DDS, MPH

Program Director

Due to heavy call volume, please send all inquiries to cdm-pgadmissions@cumc.columbia.edu(link sends e-mail).