Why do I want to earn the Fellowship and Mastership (FAGD and MAGD) from the Academy of General Dentistry? What is involved and what does this mean to my patients?
Furthermore, what does FAGD or MAGD mean to me as a dentist?
At Cranford Dental, we strive to offer the latest in dentistry to our patients in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Currently, this is even more important as we watch Rock Hill grow and advance.
As our city develops, our dentists want to also grow and improve for our community, including being recognized for excellent dentistry.
Here I explain why becoming a Fellow and Master in the Academy of General Dentistry helps our dentists stand out as leaders and experts in dentistry in our community and nationwide.
Fellow and Master of the AGD
Our dentists are members of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), an organization of general dentists who work to remain current with advances in dentistry and to provide quality patient treatment.
The Fellowship and Mastership awards are two of the most challenging dental education programs today. Thus dentists who earn Fellow and Master designations complete a demanding set of requirements covering all areas of dentistry.
Understandably, other dentists recognize Fellow and Master dentists for their dedication to excellent patient care and continuing education in the profession.
Dr. Robinson’s 2 minute interview on earning her MAGD on Rock Hill Radio WRHI:
Earning Fellowship
Dr. Elizabeth Robinson is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry.
To obtain the Fellowship, she earned a minimum of 500 approved continuing dental education credits and passed a comprehensive 400 question exam.
This encouraged her to remain current with dental techniques and to incorporate the latest in her practice.
Dr. Robinson is now working hard to earn her Mastership award.
Dr. Bill Cranford earned FAGD in 1996 and MAGD in 2002. Thanks, Dad-for setting a good example of working hard and keeping up with education.
Dr. Elizabeth Cranford Robinson
Earning Mastership
Dr. Bill Cranford is a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry.
To earn the Mastership, he had to obtain Fellowship and then earn an additional 600 approved continuing education credits. These hours covered all disciplines in dentistry and included 400 hours of hands-on courses.
In summary, a Master studies 16 disciplines in dentistry and earns a total of 1,100 hours of education in these areas.
The AGD Mastership represents a lifelong commitment to exceptional patient care.
FAGD & MAGD Helps Patients
A dentist with the Fellowship or Mastership Award tells her patients the she cares about keeping up with current dental training.
The award symbolizes professional responsibility to learn the newest techniques for their patients. Of course, this means a confident dentist and an excellent dental experience for his patients.
Also, a patient who moves to a new community often searches for an AGD Fellow or Master dentist. This helps him find a dentist who cares about current dental training and education
Earning FAGD/MAGD Encourages Education
The Academy of General Dentistry offers continuing education for member dentists and encourages them to keep learning. For this reason, dentists who advance must participate in many challenging courses to apply for AGD recognition as Master or Fellow.
Here Dr. Elizabeth Robinson is in Augusta, Georgia improving her dental skills.
The AGD sponsors Mastertrack courses across the country to provide advanced courses to member dentists. Working towards her Mastership award, Dr. Robinson joined the Georgia Academy of General Dentists Mastertrack Mastership Class in 2022.
Members of the class meet together four weekends per year for five years to study and learn. Covering all fields of dentistry, they attend lectures and do hands on dental lessons.
In addition, they prepare case presentations at their offices and review these together.
The Mastertrack course allows me to work with other dentists and learn from some of the leaders in our profession. The experience has been invaluable in helping me refine my skills.
Dr. Elizabeth Cranford Robinson
Academy of General Dentistry has Great Meetings
In 2015 my family traveled to the AGD meeting in San Francisco to watch me receive my Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry.
Looking back, some of my fondest memories involve trips to meetings in different parts of the country.
We took bags onto the exhibit floor and gathered dental products from vendors. We called this dental trick-or-treat.
Perhaps this early exposure encouraged me to consider dentistry as a career.
Cranford Dental and Continuing Education
Our dentists are committed to lifelong learning in their field; in fact, the love of learning is one thing that led them to dentistry as a career.
Dentistry advances at a fast rate both in technique and materials. Thus there is always something new to learn.
Dr. Robinson will earn her Mastership with the Mastermind course. And Dr. Will Cranford is well on his way to becoming an AGD Fellow with weekend courses on dental implants and dental technology.
Here Dr. Bill Cranford receives Fellowship in 1996. Naturally, he challenged his fellow dentists to also keep up with their education.
And of course, Dr. Robinson and Dr. Will Cranford wanted to match their Dad’s level of commitment and education.
Always a good example, Dr. Cranford never turns down a chance to learn something new about dentistry.
Call Cranford Dental at 803-324-7670 if you would like to discuss the latest in dentistry or see how modern dental technology improves patient care. Or you may choose to make an appointment online.
We love to welcome new patients to Cranford Dental.
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