Dip Imp Dent RCS
Or how I REALLY started to enjoy dentistry
When the flyer from the Royal College of Surgeons dropped through the door just two years ago it was the classic “Soft Sell”... Did I want to learn implantology with a group of like minded peers over 15 months?
Yes... That sounds good, thought I, and sent off for the Application Pack.
Ah... The sell just got tougher.
The application form was straightforward; the personal letter giving my reasons for joining the course took some more time, finding two really good clinical referees a touch longer, and 15K in cash.....
Oh, and the 15 so called “weekends” were partly in Germany, mostly in London, and involved taking Thursday afternoon and Fridays off work. Loss of earnings now had to be considered on top of the 15K...
Now, 2 years on, the group asked itself “Was it worth while?” The Answer a resounding YES; Bloody Fantastic.
Ashok Sethi and his colleagues at the RCS made our 2nd Cohort of 29 Guys and one Gal enjoy the course so much we keep going back for fun!
The Diploma in Implant Dentistry (RCS) is in six bits...
- You have to attend all the modules.
- You have to pass the clinical & practical parts of the modules.
- You have to have 13 written assignments accepted by the College.
- You have to have 10 near perfect cases accepted for presentation.
- You have to pass a Viva
- Your practice must be accepted for teaching purposes.
We were introduced to the idea of peer mentoring at the very first module, when we also learnt about Internet access to Pub Med and refereed assignments. This was particularly heavy for the older ones amongst the group some of whom thought Pub Med was a drinking establishment in the South of France.
And the group!
What a disparate bunch of loonies... A complete mixture of shapes, sizes, ages, colours and creeds. The only thing we had in common was a VERY wet fingered practical approach to Dentistry... And did we bond?
Oh Yes! Drinking in Bavaria, Night Clubs in London, Smooth Restaurants in Covent Garden and Rough beer kellers in Frankfurt.
Then we were introduced to bone grafts, and computer guided implant placement with CT scans the order of the day.... Wow.
By now we have discovered that the group has loads of experience, and after Ashok has given us the facts, all our mistakes are shared over tea, coffee, and beer. We are told that cheap handpieces can be a mistake when taking bone from a big Afro-Caribbean guy, and soon the patient’s a pal too!
I return home shattered c/o Virgin Rail and order the handpiece on the Monday, to be told by the Kavo rep that I’m the fourth sale that morning..... RCS Power.
A month later and the home PC has some more new software on it, care of “Materialise” and the next implant is placed with the aid of a drill guide which fits the patient like a glove.... The anchor is exactly 2mm short of the nerve, and I know in advance which angled abutment to order as well.
Virtually the whole practice went with that first patient to watch the scan, and we are now on first name terms with the radiographer! More pals...
At the end of the course, most of us have not finished the ten requisite cases, and will be presenting next June. The bone graft is the usual sticking point... The graft has to be in place 3 months before placing the implant, then that obviously has to be restored; and it all takes time.
So, if you fancy a really good course which will change how you work for ever, give you a new circle of friends and teach you the very best way to place your implants, get in touch with Ashok & Co at the RCS. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth every penny.
Oh, and the Dip Imp Dent is of course now recognised by the GDC.
Neil
Thomas BDS DGDP RCS
145 Victoria Road
Wallasey
Wirral
CH45 9LB
Ps Ashok Sethi at the RCS has the final photograph, taken on the steps during the Summer, of cohort 2 which would look great.
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