Policy Statement 3.15 - Post Graduate Year One Programs

Position Summary

Dental graduates, who are registered should undertake a structured program that provides high quality support and mentoring and exposure to a broad range of clinical experience.

1. Background

1.1. Graduates of Australian Dental Council accredited dental programmes have the attributes and competencies to be able to practise across the range of dental clinical disciplines from graduation.

1.2. Post Graduate Year One programmes offer a supportive environment for graduates to consolidate their dental undergraduate clinical and educational experience.

Definitions

1.3. BOARD is the Dental Board of Australia.

1.4. The AUSTRALIAN DENTAL COUNCIL (the ADC) is an independent authority assigned the accreditation functions for the dental profession by the Dental Board of Australia under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.

1.5. ENTRY TO PRACTICE PROGRAM is a course that enables the student to meet the Board’s requirements for registration as a dentist.

1.6. ENTRY TO POST-GRADUATE YEAR ONE (PGY1) PROGRAMS are those which provide structured support to newly graduate dentists.

1.7. CLINICAL SUPERVISOR is a person providing professional guidance to Participants.

1.8. MENTORING is a mutually beneficial relationship which involves a more experienced person helping a less experienced person to achieve their goals.

1.9. PGY1 PLACEMENTS (PLACEMENTS) are positions available for mentored clinical experience for dental graduates.

1.10. PARTICIPANTS are dental graduates who are registered to practise as dentists.

2. Policy

2.1. There should be compulsory participation in PGY1 programs for new dentist graduates.

2.2. PGY1 programs should offer placements which are separate and do not compete with student clinical practice placements.

2.3. There must be, for each placement, a formal agreement which clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of all parties.

2.4. Participants must be engaged under an employment arrangement.

2.5. Participants must be provided with high quality support and mentoring and exposure to a broad range of clinical experience.

2.6. A mentor must be a dentist.

2.7. A mentor must not have any registration conditions that impacts upon the mentor’s capacity to fulfil their role.

2.8. Employers participating in placement programs must provide appropriate training, support and financial remuneration for clinical mentors.

2.9. Professional development outcomes for placements must be clearly defined.

2.10. Governments must provide adequate and equitable funding to ensure that placements may be conducted throughout Australia.

2.11. Placements and programs must be subjected to regular comprehensive evaluations of outcomes.

2.12. Participants should be provided with appropriate recognition of their participation in the PGY1 program.

2.13. PGY1 programs should be developed in conjunction with a range of stakeholders including recent graduates of dental entry to practice programs, education providers, experienced dentists and professional bodies and reflect societal need and equity.