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7 things you need to know about general professional training

BDJ Student volume 28, pages 36–37 (2021)Cite this article

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By Bronagh McGuckin, General Professional Training Trainee (GPTT)

Dentistry is a challenging and rewarding career and after five years of hard work at university, it is important that the choices made for your future progression in the dental world are well thought-out and carefully considered. Every year, approximately 1,100 newly-qualified dentists have to make the challenging decision of selecting a foundation programme to enter.1 Dental foundation training (DFT) is a postgraduate training programme which eases the transition from student to professional, providing trainees the opportunity to enhance clinical skills, pace and problem-solving abilities, under the guidance of an Educational Supervisor (ES). This article aims to explore one possible DFT pathway known as General Professional Training (GPT), and provide the reader with seven essential things they should know about this distinguished and respected training programme.

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REFERENCES

  1. London and South East Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education. Dental Foundation Recruitment scheme popularity. 2019. https://www.lpmde.ac.uk/laserecruitment/dental-recruitment/dft-recruitment/dental-foundation-training-scheme-rankings-2017-2019 (accessed June 2020).

  2. Royal College of Surgeons of England. Diploma of Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England: Candidate Guidance. 2018. https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/files/rcs/education-and-exams/exams/mfds/mfds-candidate-guidance.pdf (accessed June 2020).

  3. NHS Employers. Pay and Conditions Circular (M&D) 1/2020. 2020. Available at https://www.nhsemployers.org/-/media/Employers/Documents/Pay-and-reward/Pay-and-Conditions-Circular-MD-22019.pdf (accessed June 2020).

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  1. Newcastle Dental Hospital, Richardson Road, NE2 4AZ, Newcastle, UK

    Bronagh McGuckin

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  1. Bronagh McGuckin
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Correspondence to Bronagh McGuckin.

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McGuckin, B. 7 things you need to know about general professional training. BDJ Student 28, 36–37 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-020-0187-x

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