Testimonials

What our current and past students think of the course.

MSc in Restorative Dentistry - Testimonials from our Students

Amy Gibson – graduate of MSc in Primary Dental Care online distance learning course (New Zealand).

“I chose the MSc in Primary Dental Care online distance learning course through recommendation. A colleague has completed the course and most clinicians in our community refer more complex restorative work to him now as a result of the qualification gained. When I first joined the programme I was expecting the online environment to be difficult to follow. However, it was very accessible and the lectures, readings and tasks are of high quality. It is delivered in manageable bite-sized chunks. The discussion boards give a good sense of community. If you are interested in improving your knowledge and clinical skills but don’t want to leave a general practice (and you still want a social life!), this is the course for you.”

Colin Fisher with mask on — Colin Fisher

Colin Fisher – graduate of MSc in Primary Dental Care online distance learning course (South Africa).

“I chose this programme to give some scientific base to the treatments I carry out. It allows you to adapt your way of practicing using sound principles. It is nice relating your own clinical procedures to your learning. It will give you more confidence when carrying out treatments. The MSc will allow you to perform evidence based dentistry. This definitely takes you to another level of practice.”

Zuher Elgrady wearing motorcycle helmet — Zuher Elgrady

Zuher Elgrady - graduate of PgDip in Primary Dental Care online distance learning course (Scotland).

“I chose the course to improve my clinical skills and knowledge while still practicing as GDP. It was difficult to start with and getting familiar with the virtual environment but that took me only a week and that is because of good support from the team. The programme is very well organised. Most of subjects are covered and well delivered. Having the chance to discuss cases and getting feedback from the whole group are excellent. I am pleased I took the decision to do this course. It’d give it 10 out of 10.”

Tanya Cerajewska - 2011 graduate from the MSc in Dental Primary Care in its previous part time on campus format, now delivered entirely online.

"The Dental Primary Care Certificate/Diploma/Masters course run at Edinburgh Postgraduate Dental Institute is a pragmatic and well structured course that sets the standard in Dental Postgraduate Education. Small group teaching sessions delivered by experienced and friendly Dentists at the forefront of the profession were common-place; they served to challenge and develop our level of understanding and skill, always being well tailored to give the maximum benefit to each individual student. The course is designed for practicing dentists and ensures incorporation of the techniques taught into the students own clinical practice in a manner rarely achieved in a number of similar courses. This is because of the insight and inspired planning of the course director, who fully understands the demands of a busy practice on time available for assignment completion. As an Armed Forces Dental Officer I completed modules from Northern Ireland, Colchester and Cyprus and always felt part of the course and student group in Edinburgh. As a beautiful city Edinburgh has excellent rail and road links and an international airport which all made the experience pleasurable. I always enjoyed and looked forward to coming to the Edinburgh Postgraduate Dental Institute for the study days, which were jam packed with information and practical sessions designed to develop our skills with a wealth of detailed feedback. The course gave me the confidence to alter my career pathway, recently being appointed as a clinical lecturer in Restorative Dentistry at the School of Oral and Dental Sciences at the University of Bristol. I owe those who taught me in Edinburgh an enormous debt of gratitude, both for enriching my own experience of dentistry and also hopefully the experiences of patients."

Scott Williamson in dentist lab coat — Scott Williamson

Scott Williamson BDS MSc MJDF. RCS - 2012 graduate from the MSc in Dental Primary Care in its previous part time on campus format, now delivered entirely online.

“When I started the MSc programme in Edinburgh I hoped that I would become a better dentist. The course more than met my expectations. From the outset I was impressed by the attitude of the University staff: this was a well-structured degree with academic and practical merit. The teaching programme was arranged around a strong evidence base. The recommended reading list, from respected peer reviewed journals, complimented the taught sessions. These sessions were most useful as the group size encouraged students to participate in discussions and ask questions. It was nice to have the clinical skills lab on hand to practice practical skills. I work in a small general practice in the north of England. It was very apparent from an early stage that the course was significantly changing the way I worked for the better. Every aspect of my dentistry was showing improvement. On completing the programme I felt that I had achieved something really worthwhile. The course has made me closer to being the dentist I always hoped to be. I was most ably supported and encouraged by the University staff to do my best; an ethos which will always remain with me. I must also add that during the degree I had a lot of fun!”

Scott Tulloch - 2012 graduate from the MSc in Dental Primary Care in its previous part time on campus format, now delivered entirely online.

“I started the MSc programme shortly after completing my 2 year vocational training programme. I wanted to be able to confidently treat more complex cases in general practice and also to develop a greater understanding of the research and evidence based practice aspect, in order to keep abreast of the constant developments in our profession. I found the course to be very well organised and helpful – it had an impact on my practice straight away. It was really satisfying to make the changes to the way I practiced and see the improvements. I gained confidence with more advanced procedures as the course progressed and my treatment planning skills developed with each module. The Edinburgh Postgraduate Dental Institute has excellent staff and facilities - the MSc programme had also selected excellent visiting tutors. The atmosphere of the course was very supportive with the expected feeling of formality on the day of the assessments. During all stages of my dissertation I found help and support whenever I needed it – you have the facilities of Edinburgh University to support you through the planning and literature review stages. During the experimental stages, compiling data and writing up I must say that the MSc team, headed by course co-ordinator Oonagh Lawrie, were exceptionally helpful and accommodating. Having successfully completed the programme I find that it has been a great benefit in a number of ways. Treatment planning, organising and carrying out more complex treatment as well as managing patient expectations can be done with confidence. I can critically appraise new literature around techniques and often carry out reviews of literature if I am looking for answers to points that come up in day to day practice. I feel that the MSc will act as a sound foundation from which to build on my experience throughout my career. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the training and would highly recommend the MSc programme.”

This article was published on 2024-01-29