Ivory Coast has launched its first national internship competition in odonto-stomatology in Abidjan, a new specialization pathway aimed at strengthening the hospital-university training of dental surgeons.
For this first session, 38 applications had been approved by the Directorate of Private Institutions and Health Professions (DEPPS). The opening of this competition marks the implementation of a reform announced since 2023 and governed by decree no. 2024-894 of October 16, 2024, concerning the recruitment and definition of the status of dental and oral surgery interns.
A new hospital internship program
The program complements the existing internships in medicine and pharmacy. The recruited interns must participate in care activities in public hospitals and specialized facilities while continuing advanced clinical training.
The selection is jointly organized by the ministries responsible for Health and Higher Education. It addresses the healthcare system’s need for specialized practitioners and must also prepare more candidates for academic careers in dentistry.
Félix Houphouët-Boigny University already has a Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology that provides initial training for dental surgeons. The curriculum includes six years of study and clinical internships at the Centre for Odonto-Stomatological Consultations and Treatments.
The creation of this internship now adds a stage of structured hospital training following the initial curriculum, with positions defined according to reception capacities and the needs of the healthcare system.
