Dental school joins Israel’s Rambam Medical Center for new program

Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine today will finalize an agreement with Rambam Health Care Center in Haifa, Israel, to prepare foreign graduates for Advance Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) training at Case Western Reserve.

The signing will take place today at 10 a.m. in Adelbert Hall’s Toepfer Room.

The agreement outlines a program for foreign students to spend one year of preparatory work at Rambam, mastering dental competencies required in the U.S. After completing the program, the students begin the rigorous two-year AEGD certification program at Case Western Reserve.

Jerold Goldberg, dean of the dental school, and Eli Machtei, head of Rambam Health Care Center’s School of Graduate Dentistry (the primary affiliate of the Medical School at the Technion), will sign the agreement. This agreement also allows for Israeli students to participate in graduate specialty programs.

The preparatory program begins in 2013. Two students will be accepted into the program to spend the year in Israel, followed by the accredited AEGD residency program in the fall of 2014 at Case Western Reserve.

Students will be recruited from Russia, the Far East, India and other foreign countries. All classes in Israel will be in English to ease the transition when arriving at Case Western Reserve.

This training makes it possible for foreign students who have graduated from dental schools in their countries to begin treating patients on their first day at Case Western Reserve, Goldberg said.

The faculty has worked closely with Rambam to design a curriculum that aligns the skills of the foreign students with U.S. dental students.

Goldberg said the program builds on the university’s efforts to promote more international experiences through educational programs and collaborations.

This is the first agreement with Rambam, whose faculty member Zvi Gutmacher now has a joint appointment as a visiting professor at the dental school. Gutmacher resides in Israel and will oversee the preparatory classes.

Advanced education in general dentistry programs in the U.S. go beyond the four-year dental school programs for the DMD or DDS and give dental doctors experience in treating complicated oral health issues that a private practice dentist rarely encounters.­­

Also attending the signing will be dental school faculty members Sorin Teich, assistant dean of clinic operations; Mark Hans, associate dean of Graduate Studies; and Lisa Lang, chair of comprehensive care and assistant dean of clinical education.