Adding to the depth of its graduate dental education offerings, Penn Dental Medicine has launched an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program; the new program is now accepting applications for its inaugural class, which will enter in July. The application deadline for this incoming class is May 1, 2022.

The one-year AEGD program is designed to provide dental school graduates with advanced dental education training in comprehensive dental care with a focus on medically complex, vulnerable, and underserved populations. Dental residents will complete clinical care rotations within Penn Dental Medicine’s Personalized Care Suite in its Care Center for Persons with Disabilities; within the school’s clinical care program that serves vulnerable populations, including refugees and survivors of abuse; and within the school’s community-based care centers, treating patients with varying social, medical, economic, and psychosocial complexities.

“We’ve designed a program to not only develop residents’ skills and excellence in comprehensive patient-centered care, but also to build their experience and understanding in treating vulnerable and underserved populations,” said Marc Henschel, the AEGD program director. “Our goal and hope is that through this program graduates will go on to serve individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable populations in their own practices.”

Dr. Henschel, an associate professor of clinical community oral health, joined Penn Dental Medicine in 2021 to lead the program, developing it and gaining formal initial accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) over the past year. He came to Penn Dental Medicine from New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry, where he led the NYU Special Patient Care Clinic as director and was the course director for clinical management of patients with special needs as well as the honors program in Clinical Management of Patients with Special Needs.

In 2020, Penn Dental Medicine was awarded a $2.1 million grant over five years from the Health Resources and Services Administration in support of the AEGD program. As part of the program, each resident will receive an annual stipend plus employee benefits (medical, dental, vision, and life insurance).