Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties

M.J.D.F RCS Eng is the new Diploma of Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties (F.G.D.P and F.D.S). This examination will progressively replace the existing M.F.G.D.P and M.F.D.S both of which will cease in the summer of 2008.

The M.J.D.F assessment relies less on traditional tests of knowledge and more on workplace–based evaluation of applied knowledge and competencies, in line with current education protocols and is appropriate to both primary and secondary care settings.

M.J.D.F. is a valuable first–level postgraduate qualification and will be the starting point for practitioners who wish to develop their careers in general or specialist practice. It may well become a desirable requirement for entry into postgraduate training programmes generally, including specialist training and will be the first step on the F.G.D.P’s Career Pathway for general dental practitioners.

The competences tested in the new exam are those contained in the "Curriculum for U.K. Dental Foundation Programme Training" i.e. the curriculum for the proposed 2 year Foundation Training Programme for all new U.K. dental graduates and it is thought that M.J.D.F might become the preferred outcome of that programme.

The examination consists of 3 parts :-

1. A Portfolio of Evidence
   The portfolio will consist of :-
   1. Evidence from 5 Key Skill areas [three mandatory and two optional]
   2. A clinical audit or research presentation
   3. A clinical case presentation
   4. A Personal Development Plan
   5. A current C.V.
   6. Record of C.P.D. activity
2. Part 1 Examination
   This consists of single best answer Multiple Choice Questions and Multiple Short Answer questions assessing knowledge and applied knowledge.
3. Part 2 examination
   This consists of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (O.S.C.E) and Structured Clinical Reasoning (S.C.R) formats to assess clinical skills and competencies as well as clinical reasoning.

Extensive information about the exam can be found at the M.J.D.F website at either www.fgdp.org.uk/exams/mjdf Or www.rcseng.ac.uk/fds/mjdf

The M.J.D.F examination department can be contacted at mjdf@rcseng.ac.uk or 020 7869 6762 for additional queries not answered by the website information.

Practitioners who have already passed parts of M.F.G.D.P or M.F.D.S can transfer these across to the new examination but all entrants must complete a Coursework Module / Portfolio of Evidence.

The first sittings of M.J.D.F are October 2007 for part 1 and November 2007 for part 2.

Would be candidates are advised to attend some form of preparation group. The R.C.S will be running revision sessions for both parts 1 and 2.

Details of the successful Central London Study Group can be found on the London Deanery website at www.londondeanery.ac.uk.

Practitioners in Sussex can attend monthly sessions at the Brighton Education Centre – details from the KSS exam tutor Tony Fallowfield at tony.fallowfield@ntlworld.com.

Practitioners in Kent can attend a preparation course at the Canterbury Postgraduate Centre, details from the South East F.G.D.P. tutor Phil Moo at philipmoo@tiscali.co.uk.

Tony Fallowfield
Clinical Dental Adviser (Training)