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.