Major changes to the Career Pathway and Fellowship regulations. Click here for more details.
The Career Pathway is a career development framework devised and supported by the FGDP(UK), that aims to support career-long learning and professional development by recognising postgraduate education and training undertaken by practising primary care dentists. To be eligible for formal registration on the Career Pathway you must have a registerable primary dental care qualification and be a member of the FGDP(UK).
Find out more about becoming a member here.
The Career Pathway is open to all dental practitioners, from vocational trainees to practice principals, and provides:
- A route to Fellowship of the Faculty (the FFGDP[UK])
- A structure for ongoing professional development
- A route to the FFGDP(UK) based on your experience in practice.
Completion of the three stages of the Career Pathway provides a route to Fellowship of the FGDP(UK) that should be achievable for all general dental practitioners. The Pathway has a structure that allows flexibility for the participant, allowing them to remain in practice whilst undertaking education and training at their own pace. It also supports the development of special interests in primary dental care.
To download the Career Pathway regulations, click here.
Foundation Stage
This stage is marker of generalist competencies. The foundation stage may be achieved in three ways:
- Award of the DGDP(UK), MFGDP(UK), MFDS or MJDF;
- 10 years' experience, plus completing the MJDF portfolio of evidence;
- Holding an MClinDent, a Dental MSc or equivalent plus completing the MJDF portfolio of evidence.
To find out more about the MJDF exam, please click here.
Stage 2
Stage 2 of the Pathway is about further training and development and is the stage where many practitioners opt to develop special interests in primary dental care. This stage involves the completion of 120 transferable educational credits.
- A minimum of 60 of these credits (equivalent to a postgraduate certificate) should be in a clinical area;
- A minimum of 30 of these credits should be in the management of practice;
- The remaining 30 credits may be drawn from a clinical area, a clinically related area such as research or education and training, or in the management of practice.
The requirements for this stage can be satisfied by the completion of taught programmes.
To find out more about gaining credits, please click here.
Stage 3
This is Fellowship assessment stage. This stage of the Pathway may only be commenced once all the required credits have been gained at the foundation stage and stage 2.
The assessment involves the production of a portfolio of evidence which includes the satisfactory completion of a practice questionnaire and a practice visit from a trained mentor. This portfolio of evidence forms the basis of a final reflective discussion with the Fellowship assessors.
FFGDP(UK)
The Diploma of Fellowship of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) (FFGDP[UK]) marks the end of the Career Pathway and gives practitioners the opportunity to demonstrate that all that has been learned from a programme of structured continuing education and training has been put into practice, and the practice and practitioner are capable of delivering the highest standards of patient care.
Two assessment routes are available: clinical and non-clinical. The Career Pathway only relates to the clinical assessment route towards fellowship. Both assessments lead to the award of the same diploma. Further information about both routes to Fellowship can be found here.
The assessment for the clinical route is candidate-led and evidence-based. Each candidate will be able to collect the evidence they need to demonstrate to the Assessors that have achieved the standards of competence as set out in the Fellowship in General Dental Practice Curriculum. This evidence will collectively form a portfolio of evidence, details of which are included in the Regulations Relating to the Assessment.
Download the Fellowship in General Dental Practice Curriculum.
Download the Regulations Relating to the Assessment.
The FFGDP(UK) is open to dentists who have achieved 180 credits on the Faculty's Career Pathway, are registered to practice dentistry, and have normally worked in a primary dental care environment for no fewer than five years.
