The IMU Postgraduate Diploma in Implant Dentistry (PGDID) programme which was launched in October 2016 is fast approaching one year old. This programme is specially tailored to suit practitioners with minimal or no implant dentistry experience. Students have acquired skills to plan, treat and maintain dental implant cases with many of them placing a number of dental implants on patients at the IMU Healthcare‘s Oral Health Centre or at their own workplace. Out of the initial cohort of ten students two are from Terengganu and Johor respectively. Despite the distance, the students found that the programme has allowed them enough flexibility to maintain their practice whilst pursuing the postgraduate diploma. Coming to IMU for face-to-face teaching/learning sessions once every two months was something all of them look forward to for it is then that they meet the teaching faculty for direct teaching and practical sessions. Many are left inspired after having had invigorating sessions with the experts who are renowned in the field.
Amongst the teaching faculty of the programme, Dr Elvin Leong and Dr Somkiat Almplee commented that “this is an enthusiastic lot of students and that makes teaching them a wonderful experience for all!”
At the end of one year the students who have completed all their clinical case requirements would be ready to sit for the final exams. Students have between 1-3 years to complete their case requirements and sit for the examination. One of the students, Dr Hussein Wakeel who is incidentally a dental officer with the IMU Healthcare is definitely one who is looking forward to take his exams having acquired above and beyond the number of required cases.
Raring to be the first graduate Dr Wakeel said beamingly “I have acquired confidence in implant dentistry and I can’t wait to graduate and looking forward to taking the diploma examination in implant dentistry from Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCS Edinburgh) and then move on to be at the expert level”.
As Associate Dean responsible for the postgraduate programmes at the School of Dentistry, Prof Khoo commented that “we are proud to be able to provide a quality training platform for a multidisciplinary field such as implant dentistry to the busy working dental practitioners who are so keen to learn and yet unable to take time off their busy practice. This programme appears to be just right for them”.
