title: Preceptorship revisited.
abstract: Before the advent of university-based dental education, preceptorship training was the only way one could learn to be a dentist. Even after dental schools became firmly entrenched in the university system, preceptorships were accepted for specialty training. In the 1960s, the American Association of Orthodontists revived the tradition to meet a growing demand for orthodontic specialists. By the time that program concluded a decade later, over 200 specialists had completed their studies; many preceptees went into clinical practice near or with their mentors. The author of this historical review is a practicing orthodontist certified by the American Board of Orthodontics, a faculty member of a university orthodontic department, and a 1961 graduate of the supervised preceptorship program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Md, USA. delorthodontics@webtv.net
authors.forename: Fred S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Fink
mesh_terms: D000571:American Dental Association / Q000266:history; D003815:Dentists / Q000600:supply & distribution; D004499:Education, Dental, Graduate / Q000266:history* / Q000379:methods; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000193:education*; D011231:Preceptorship / Q000266:history* / Q000379:methods; D012953:Societies, Dental / Q000266:history; D014481:United States