Academic Dentistry and Dental Education
Once you are in dental school you will see firsthand some of the opportunities that are open to dentists who choose a career in dental education and academic dentistry. Many dental academicians say the chief benefit of their career is the stimulation of working with outstanding colleagues and bright young students. But another significant benefit is the variety of activities, which can include:
- teaching in didactic, clinical, and laboratory areas
- patient care in the clinic or a faculty practice
- designing and conducting research
- writing for journals
- exploring new technologies and materials
- and administration
Many dental school faculty members combine their love for teaching and research with private practice. Should you choose to start your career in private practice, don’t fear that you have closed the door on academic dentistry. The vast majority of new dental faculty members each year (both full and part time) enter academic dentistry after time spent in private practice. ADEA has excellent information on careers in academic dentistry at www.adea.org.
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