The Upstate GPR program is a two in one residency program. Each year we select six applicants into our program. Our affiliation with the Syracuse VA enhances the variety of patient care experiences for our residents.

This program is fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). All policies, procedures, and activities must be in compliance with CODA standards and Advocate Graduate Medical Education (GME policy).

The goals of this program include the preparation of the graduate to:

• Act as a primary care provider for individuals and groups of patients which will include providing emergency and multidisciplinary comprehensive patient focused oral health care that is coordinated by the general dentist and include the promotion of sound oral health and the prevention of disease.
• Develop appropriate dental and behavioral management treatment plans to be able to provide multidisciplinary oral health care for a wide variety of patients with special needs and medical challenges.
• Take into consideration patient’s medical, dental, social, behavioral and financial histories.
• Function effectively within the hospital setting while managing patients in the Emergency Department, the Operating Room and providing consultations to other medical services.
• Engage patients and providers while on rotation in Anesthesia, Emergency Department, General Medicine, Pediatric Medicine, and ENT.
• Participate effectively within interdisciplinary health care teams and learn how to obtain and provide consults to medical and dental colleagues.
• Utilize critical thinking, evidence based clinical decision-making and literature searches to provide optimal patient care and contribute to ongoing personal and professional development.
• Understand the oral health needs of the underserved communities/patient populations and be prepared to participate in community/public health-based health care service.
• Be able to apply the principles of patient and practice management and quality/safety improvement initiatives to effectively provide oral health care.

Apply the values of professional ethics, cultural diversity awareness and acceptance, life-long learning and patient centered care to their careers in dentistry.