After completing dental school, Dr. Ortega successfully passed the Virginia dental licensing exam
and then entered the one-year General Practice Residency Program at the University of Maryland.
The residency prepares the general dentist for many realistic medical situations, which
are rarely encountered in dental school. The program is also designed to provide the dentist
with more extensive experience with hospital dentistry and complex procedures.
(During the residency, one month is spent on the anesthesia service, one month is spent on the
Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery service, and a rotation is scheduled in the emergency room at Kernan
Hospital and The New Children's Hospital. Residents must successfully complete a physical
diagnosis course, attend seminars and present complex dental cases to the faculty and peers for
review. A didactic program is presented primarily through seminars, which include review of
dental science and presentation of new procedures in all aspects of dentistry, including implant
procedures and practice management. One complex case presented by the resident for review by
the faculty and peers is expected to be suitable for publication. A literature review on
assigned topics is required and is presented in a seminar format. The resident manages
approximately two general dental operating room cases per week.)
After completing her residency, Dr. Ortega began seeking a full-time private practice
associateship in Northern Virginia.
|