Junior Dental Fellow

This post would suit a clinician/trainee motivated for self-directed learning and interested in taking advantage of the wide range of surgical experience available in this large teaching hospital.

Consultant clinics, theatre lists & ward work allow trainees to develop knowledge & understanding of Oral & Maxillofacial conditions, as well as the general principles of emergency & in-patient care, medical management & surgical/ward skills.

Our busy unit will also improve your time-management, communication and teamwork. The department provides a comprehensive Oral and Maxillofacial service with most NUH OMFS consultants sharing routine/emergency referrals and trauma management (with inclusion of Lincoln consultants for on-call Rota). However there is also sub-specialisation in Maxillofacial oncology, congenital and acquired deformity, sleep apnoea & TMJ disorders etc. DCT’s can attend clinics for all of the above including occasional Orthognathic planning or Oncology MDT clinics. In theatre DCT’s can see major cases being treated with tracheostomies, free-flap reconstructions & implant rehabilitation, neurosurgical-craniofacial procedures, Orthognathic surgery, TMJ replacements and secondary cleft alveolar bone grafting etc.

Under supervision and guidance by senior team members, the post holder will be required to support provision of optimal patient care by undertaking the following:

• Assist in the routine care of patients, undertaking examination, diagnosis and treatment planning, both on the ward and in the out-patient department.
• Participate in ward rounds and then monitor the progress of in-patients.

Shifts are variable with flexible working according to activities. All DCT’s will potentially work with all OMFS consultants at some stage.

On-call activity is exclusively at QMC & arranged in a rota (approx 1-in-8 or 1-in-9) involving long day shifts and evening shifts. When on-call, DCT’s are resident at QMC and provide the first tier on-call cover for OMFS with Registrar and/or Consultant for senior support.

• Undertake effective hand over of patients to colleagues.
• Keep up-to-date patient records using IT where relevant and making sure that all written records and legible and dated.
• Prescribe and administer treatment in line with departmental guidelines, reporting any changes in progress to the senior clinician on duty.
• Assist as required at operative procedures.

ED at QMC is a major Trauma Centre and is linked to the regional neurosciences service, thereby providing significant experience in the management of major Head & Neck trauma as well as oro-facial injuries. On-call shifts are often busy but are valuable in developing trainees’ decision-making, delegation & multi-tasking skills as well as giving a rewarding opportunity to improve suturing technique.

On-call DCT’s will be expected to attend ward rounds, support the pre/post-operative care of patients on the ward and assess/manage patients from the Emergency Department (which will include accepting referrals from King’s Mill A&E). There are also a variety of urgent calls from other wards, departments and General Practitioners, which should be assessed & delegated to others in the team as appropriate.

For further details / informal visits contact:

Name: Darpan Mehta
Job title: Maxillofacial Consultant and Ed. Supervisor
Email address: darpan.mehta4@nhs.net
Telephone number: 0115 924 9924