Dr. Ronald C. Tonsi voiced in the November JADA letters to the editor his dissenting opinion of the elimination of live patients from the clinical dental examination process by stating that he wishes to "tell [students] to quit whining, complete their education, pass the exam ... and then practice our great profession."
As a new (and licensed) dentist, I wish to remind everyone about one very important fact: This is an issue of utmost concern to our entire profession, not just to our students.
ADA resolution 64H-2000 passed in the House of Delegates by an overwhelming majority. Subsequently, the American Dental Education Association passed its own resolution calling for the elimination of live patients from the clinical examination process.
Since that time, similar resolutions have been passed all across the nation in the state dental associations in California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Wisconsin.
It is quite obvious that the majority of dentists nationwide have shown time and time again that they feel that our current process of dental licensure is in need of reform and that human subjects should be eliminated from the process. Because of this, I cannot help but wonder who exactly is doing the whining.
