Your
dentist is a Fellow or Master of
the Academy of General Dentistry
What
does FAGD or MAGD stand for after your general dentist’s
name?
Your
dentist is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry
(AGD), an organization of general dentists who are dedicated
to professional development and continuing education.
All AGD members must remain current with advances in
the profession to provide quality patient treatment.
A general dentist who is a “Fellow” in the
Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD) has been recognized
by other general dentists as a leader and an example
to other dentists of the importance of quality continuing
dental education to patient care. A general dentist
who has earned the designation “Master” of
the Academy of General Dentistry (MAGD)—a big step
up from Fellowship—has completed a structured and
rigorous set of requirements involving all the dental
disciplines. Both Fellows and Masters have accepted
the charge to keep abreast of advances in dentistry
for the benefit of patients and the betterment of dentistry.
They serve as mentors and leaders to other dentists
pursuing continuing dental education. They set examples
in their communities with their hard work, concern and
involvement.
What
are the steps to Fellowship in the Academy of General
Dentistry?
To
earn a Fellowship Award, your dentist must earn a minimum
of 500 approved continuing dental education credits
and pass a comprehensive 400-question examination. Your
dentist must also be an Academy of General Dentistry
member for five continuous years. While attaining Fellowship
is a challenge, it allows dentists to remain current
with what is new in dentistry, and to incorporate the
latest techniques into their practices.
What
is the requirement for Mastership in the Academy of
General Dentistry?
To
attain Mastership, members must first be Fellows in
the Academy of General Dentistry. Then they must earn
an additional 600 approved continuing education credits,
meeting minimum requirements in certain dental disciplines,
of which 400 hours are hands on courses. Thus, a Master
of the Academy of General Dentistry has taken a total
of 1,100 hours of continuing education. A Master has
studied 16 disciplines in dentistry, such as periodontics,
orthodontics and implants.
What’s
special about a dentist who has an award from the Academy
of General Dentistry?
Fellows
and Masters of the Academy of General Dentistry follow
a lifelong pursuit of continuing education to provide
the highest quality of dental care to patients. The
award symbolizes the professional responsibility of
general dentists to remain current in their profession
and reminds each member of the dental profession to
continue to learn new techniques for their dental practice.
These are awards, however and should not be confused
with post-graduate degrees or certification. Every dentist
who applies for the Fellowship or Mastership award has
their application reviewed by the AGD Council on Dental
Education to assure that the high standards of the Academy
of General Dentistry are met.
How
many dentists have achieved Fellowship or Mastership?
To
date, more than 10,000 members of the Academy of General
Dentistry have become Fellows and more than 1,000 have
gone on to receive Mastership. The Academy is proud
of all of its members who must take at least 75 hours
of continuing dental education every three years, and
especially proud of its members who have made the commitment
to pursue these awards. When your dentist has achieved
the Fellowship Award or Mastership Award, you can be
assured that they are dedicated to providing the finest
care in general dentistry.
This
information was compiled for you by the Academy of General
Dentistry. Your dentist cares about long-tern dental
health for you and your family and demonstrates that
concern by belonging to the Academy of General Dentistry.
As one of the 35,000 general dentists in the United
States and Canada who are members of the Academy, your
dentist participates in an ongoing program of professional
development and continuing education to remain current
with advances in the profession and to provide quality
patient treatment. Visit the AGD's web site at www.agd.org.
FactSheet