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Strongly Opposed

As a second year resident in the VCU Department of Graduate Periodontics working to earn a specialty degree I have been absolutely astounded at the depth of literature in the field of periodontics.  We spend countless hours each week reading journal articles and reviewing these articles with faculty.  The residency is three years and the volume of information regarding periodontics, medicine, sedation, and implant dentistry that we review is incredible.  We gain an understanding of the history of our specialty through classic literature as well as where the field is headed by going through multiple current journals each week.  This is all in addition to completing a research project to fulfill the requirements for a Master’s degree while managing a full schedule of patients.

The elimination of specialty recognition would allow many who have not been through the training, literature review, and research of residency to allude to the public that they have had similar experience. I do not think that this is fair to the patients who would not have the understanding to know the difference. I am strongly opposed to this change in legislation