MJDF and The Modern: Dental Career
MJDF and The Modern: Dental Career
MJDF and The Modern: Dental Career
two-year foundation training programme consider the MJDF as a valuable demonstra practitioners to hospital dentists, as well as
for all dental graduates. Relying less on tion of having achieved the postgraduate those from the community dental services
traditional tests of knowledge and more on competencies set out in the foundation train and armed forces. The next of the revision
workplace-based demonstration of compe ing curriculum. Those who have completed days, which focuses on Part 2 of the MJDF
tencies, the MJDF provides an innovative MFDS or MFGDP(UK) need only take Part 2 exam, will take place on 13 October 2007.
assessment for today’s dentist, in line with MJDF to gain the joint diploma. For information on future study days, please
the principles of the Postgraduate Medical refer to the MJDF website.
Education and Training Board. Supporting today’s dentists
The GDC has now decided that there will A dedicated MJDF website provides compre Best foot forward
be no formal examination entry require hensive information for both prospective and As anticipated, interest in the MJDF has been
ment for specialist training and selection is current candidates of the MJDF, MFGDP(UK) significant, with around 200 candidates reg
likely to be on the basis of a range of cri or MFDS RCS Eng – see www.fgdp.org.uk/ istered to sit the first Part 1 examination on
teria demonstrating suitability. The MJDF exams/mjdf or www.rcseng.ac.uk/fds/mjdf. 1 October. The first diet of the Part 2 exami
may therefore become a desirable require The site includes dates of the examinations nation will take place on 26-27 November,
ment for entry into postgraduate training and revision days, specimen questions, and and candidates who wish to register for
programmes generally, including specialist frequently asked questions. Visitors can Part 2 should do so by 28 September. Those
training, and will be the starting point for also download the Information for candi wishing to register for the next Part 1 exam,
the FGDP(UK)’s Career Pathway for general dates document, which contains full details to be held on 7 April, should do so by
dental practitioners. of the structure of each stage of the MJDF 8 February 2008.
assessment as well as the examination regu The next MFGDP(UK) Part II will take place
Shifting gears lations, guide to the portfolio of evidence over 14-15 November 2007 and candidates
The MJDF consists of two written exami and information on the transition arrange who wish to register for the last Part I exam
nations and a portfolio of evidence which ments for candidates of the MFGDP(UK) and should do so before 1 February 2008.
demonstrates the candidate’s knowledge MFDS RCS Eng. For more information on the MJDF,
and application of skills. The Part 1 paper The FGDP(UK) and FDS have networks the MFGDP(UK) and the MFDS RCS Eng,
will include different formats of multiple of tutors to assist those preparing for their including submission dates and transitional
choice and short answer questions. This will respective membership assessments and arrangements, please refer to the Information
test candidates’ knowledge and application increasingly, the activities of these two sepa for candidates, which can be downloaded
of knowledge of all aspects of the curricu rate networks will be combined to provide from the MJDF website at www.fgdp.org.uk/
lum. Part 2 will be in the form of objective joint teaching for the MJDF. As part of the exams/mjdf or www.rcseng.ac.uk/fds/mjdf.
structured clinical examination (OSCE) and support network provided for candidates, the Information packs are also available from
structured clinical reasoning (SCR) exer two faculties are running a series of revision the MJDF examinations department; contact
cises. These will assess the philosophy days leading up to the new examination. mjdf@rcseng.ac.uk for more details.
guiding the candidates’ practice, as well as These are primarily oriented towards the
their competence and application of knowl MJDF, though they are still relevant to candi Ian Pocock
edge. For the SCR exercises, candidates will dates intending to complete the MFGDP(UK) Registrar, Faculty of General
receive information relating to clinical sce and MFDS examinations. So far these have Dental Practice (UK)
narios and after some time to assimilate the covered topics including radiography, clini DOI: 10.1038/bdj.2007.776
information, there will follow short, struc cal emergencies, cross-infection and practice
tured discussions about the scenarios with management, as well as guidance on the
the examiners. exam’s structure and format.
It is recommended that candidates who The feedback from candidates to these
have yet to start any part of the MFDS or sessions has so far been very positive. One
MFGDP(UK) commence with MJDF. How attendee, Alberto Fox-Miyashima, reported
ever, transitional arrangements are in place that ‘there was an overwhelming sense of
to ensure that those who have already com fulfilment from many of those attending. The
menced either the MFGDP(UK) or MFDS way that the lectures were conducted encour
will be able to use completed components aged participation and helped increased
from those two examinations towards confidence among delegates. Alberto also
the new award, provided that all parts states that the appeal of the MJDF is the
of the assessment are completed within way in which it is assessed, specifically that
the usual five-year period allowed for there is less reliance on traditional tests of
membership examinations. knowledge and more emphasis on work
The new assessment will also be of rel place-based demonstration of competencies.
evance to practitioners with more experience He was also encouraged to see dentists from
post-registration. With more flexible entry a variety of dental care settings attending
into specialist training and the advent of the study day; interest in sitting Part 1 of
concepts such as the Dentists with Special the diploma has come from dentists with
Interests, all practitioners are advised to various backgrounds, from general dental