As dental professionals, we are used to the hustle and bustle of working life. Choosing to study online can be daunting.
Yet continuing professional development is a vital part of our lives as dentists, and to improve our careers, we must endeavour to increase our skill set and offer new, high-value treatment options to our patients.
As dental professionals, we are used to the hustle and bustle of working life. Choosing to study online can be daunting.
Yet continuing professional development is a vital part of our lives as dentists, and to improve our careers, we must endeavour to increase our skill set and offer new, high-value treatment options to our patients.
For practising clinicians juggling a practice and busy home lives, returning back to university full-time is simply not an option, and online study is a fantastic tool that ticks all the right boxes.
We sat down with paediatric dentist and previous graduate of the Diploma in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Dr. Ibrahim Abdelghani, to discuss why he chose the LDi and how he found the process of learning with us online.
Hi Dr. Ibrahim! Thank you for sharing your experience with us. First of all, what made you interested in expanding your knowledge in Orthodontics, and what stood out to you about the Diploma at the LDi?
Being a paediatric dentist, I see a lot of growing patients with many aesthetic and functional problems. Prior to the Diploma, I didn’t feel competent in treating these cases or even offering proper advice to parents.
The content on the Diploma about growth and development and interceptive orthodontics was efficient in moving me from this state of uncertainty into a physician that could offer solutions for my patients’ problems.
Fantastic. It’s great to hear the course gave you the confidence to take on these new kinds of cases.
One of the things that we often hear from new students is that they’re unsure of how the practical aspect of the course will be taught. As you know, this is something our faculty takes seriously, with one-on-one case support, Live Study Clubs, and the practical training kit that’s shipped to your address prior to the course start date.
On the course, how helpful was the clinical case forum? Did you post there? What was it like learning online in this way?
The clinical case forum was one of the best features of LDi, in my opinion. It was very helpful to me for two reasons.
Firstly, the clinical case forum helped me in learning how to organise & analyse all the records I took for each patient. Secondly, the discussion with Doctors and tutors on how to approach treatment for each case guided me in the treatment I chose.
The practical training was greater than I expected. I’ve learned how to think properly for each problem I face and the Doctors sometimes post examples of photos & videos in the VLE so we can apply the knowledge into our practice.
Did you have any doubts about the online learning method before embarking on your course? If so, what made you change your mind?
Of course! I’ve tried some online courses before and it was a waste of time & money. The reviews about LDi encouraged me to take this chance and I don’t regret that. My experience was AMAZING!
At the LDi, we’re so proud to have an international faculty of incredible educators. How important was the faculty for you when you were choosing a higher education institution?
In my home country, the regulators don’t accept any online certificate as a speciality or even as CE [Continuing Medical Education]. This made it very important for me to choose a course for the quality and the organisation of the material provided so I can provide more quality treatment in my office.
Another point that was important for me is the way people think & react in my country when you say, “I have a diploma from the UK”. I’ve noticed my patients appreciate that and regard the qualification as really hard work was done.
What are the returns on investment you’ve seen from the Diploma? Have you noticed your income increase?
Yes, almost by 40%.
As a result, I see that the Diploma was one the best decisions in my dental career, money wise and also skills wise.
That is brilliant news, Dr. Ibrahim. To understand that a little more, can you tell us a bit more about your practice and the treatments you are now able to offer?
What do you think has been the main driver of that increase in revenue, and how has the Diploma contributed to that?
I’ve started to work on various orthodontic patients ranging from growing children to adults and aligner cases. The Diploma gave me the proper knowledge and confidence to start incorporating more of these cases in my practice.
What would be your advice for students who are also looking to increase their revenue and begin offering orthodontic treatments?
If they have their own clinic and could not leave their clinic to study a 3-year speciality degree in orthodontics, then LDi is the first option for them to properly understand & apply orthodontics in their practice.
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Each of our programmes are designed to leverage innovative online learning techniques to increase the treatment options you’re able to offer your patients, increase your practice’s earning potential, and help you take the next step towards your professional goals.
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