Graduate Development Program 2027

A structured 24-month earn & learn pathway for new graduate dentists - full clinical income, real patients from day one, and structured mentorship every step of the way.

Express your interest

The opportunity

The move from dental school to independent practice is one of the most important and challenging stages of a dentist's career. At Curran Dental we believe confidence, competence and professional maturity are built through structured exposure, consistent mentorship and meaningful clinical responsibility - not rushed productivity or unsupported trial-and-error.

The Curran Dental Earn & Learn New Graduate Dentist Program is a deliberately designed 24-month pathway that lets you earn a full clinical income while developing into a safe, confident and highly capable general dentist. You treat real patients from the outset, supported by clear clinical frameworks, robust systems and progressive mentoring.

Why Curran Dental & Port Lincoln

Curran Dental is a well-established, privately owned family practice in Port Lincoln, on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula - one of Australia's most liveable and scenic regional cities. With a regional population of around 25,000 and a strong community identity, Port Lincoln offers an exceptional quality of life without the pressures of a metropolitan environment.

Technology rarely found outside major city practices:

  • CBCT and cone beam imaging

  • iTero intraoral scanner

  • CEREC in-house CAD/CAM milling

  • Formlabs Form 4B 3D printer (splints, models, provisionals)

  • Full digital photography setup

  • Advanced implant and prosthodontic workflows, including All-on-4

Lifestyle advantages that are genuinely hard to find elsewhere:

  • Affordable housing and cost of living compared to Adelaide or any capital city

  • World-class fishing, sailing, diving and outdoor recreation

  • A tight-knit, welcoming community where you quickly become part of the fabric of the town

  • Direct flights to Adelaide (approx. 40 min)

  • Regional visa pathways and relocation support for internationally trained graduates

For the right graduate, this isn't a compromise - it's a genuine opportunity to build an exceptional clinical career in a practice that punches well above its weight, within a community that values its dentists.

Our Earn & Learn philosophy

We believe the best learning happens in real clinical environments — provided the right structure and safeguards are in place.

  • You work as an active clinician from day one

  • Clinical scope expands only when competence and consistency are demonstrated

  • Mentorship is structured, scheduled and documented

  • Patient safety, quality dentistry and ethical decision-making come first

  • Financial sustainability supports your learning rather than driving it

Curran Dental benchmarks staffing, consumables and systems above industry norms, so you can focus on delivering high-quality dentistry without being compromised by time pressure, inadequate support or resource limitations.

Remuneration at a glance

  • Duration

    24 months

  • Employment 

    Full-time, employed clinician

  • Mentorship 

    Weekly → fortnightly → monthly

  • Reviews 

    Quarterly competency & performance reviews

  • Outcome 

    Independent, senior-level general dentist with defined clinical interests

Foundations, Safety & Confidence (Months 1–3)

A safe, supported, confidence-building transition from university into real-world general practice. The goal here isn't speed or productivity — it's clinical safety, predictability and professional grounding, with high levels of supervision, structured mentoring and deliberate case selection.

  • Rubber dam mastery (≥80% usage) · Class I and II posterior composites · simple endodontic cases · simple extractions and emergency dentistry · radiographic interpretation and diagnosis · paediatric dentistry fundamentals

  • iTero scanning (min. 10 full scans) · full clinical photography series (min. 10 cases) · introduction to CEREC and CBCT concepts · introduction to 3D printing

  • Basic treatment planning structure · patient communication and rapport building · D4W fundamentals and clinical note standards · sterilisation, emergency and debrief workflows

  • Weekly — a structured one-hour meeting with the principal dentist covering milestone progress, case discussion and any clinical or professional matters you raise. A standing agenda keeps it consistent, with flexibility for cases or questions from the week.

  • Clinically safe, confident with diagnosis, and fully integrated into practice systems.

Competence & Consistency (Months 4–6)

Builds on Phase 1 to move you from clinically safe to clinically consistent — predictable outcomes, improved efficiency and growing confidence across a broader scope, while maintaining high standards of care. Supervision remains readily available, but you begin owning your clinical days and developing rhythm within the diary.

  • Quadrant dentistry · anterior composite restorations · simple molar endodontics · moderate extractions · paediatric stainless steel crowns

  • At least 5 single-unit CEREC crowns · improved scanning speed and accuracy · using digital tools for patient education · operating the Formlabs 4B printer independently for study/working models

  • multi-surface and quadrant treatment planning · confident fee discussions and case sequencing

  • Fortnightly — formal sit-down sessions reviewing case outcomes, clinical photographs and KPIs, with forward planning of upcoming complex cases and peer discussion of any uncertainties. Plus a monthly performance and KPI review.

  • Consistent clinical outcomes and improved productivity.

Independence & Intermediate Complexity (Months 7–9)

A deliberate shift from structured supervision to measured clinical independence. The focus is on strengthening clinical judgement, decision-making and self-directed practice, introducing intermediate-complexity cases within a clearly defined safety framework. The emphasis moves from how to do procedures to when, why and whether to proceed.

  • Moderate-difficulty molar endodontics · occlusal splints · multi-unit dentistry · surgical extractions (assisted and selected independent)

  • Advanced CEREC workflows · introductory smile design · CBCT interpretation for surgery and endodontics

  • Full-arch planning fundamentals · staged and sequenced care plans

  • Functioning with reduced supervision and improved clinical judgement.

Consolidation (Months 10–12)

The culmination of year one — consolidating skills, embedding reliability and confirming readiness for advanced development. You're expected to function confidently and consistently across the majority of routine scenarios, with mentorship shifting toward oversight rather than day-to-day supervision.

  • Independent delivery of ~80% of routine GP dentistry · moderate surgical procedures · implant restorative foundations · complex treatment sequencing

  • Monthly - a one-hour structured review covering your clinical portfolio, patient outcomes and professional development goals, where you present 2–3 cases of your choosing. Plus an end-of-year performance review: a formal competency assessment using self-evaluation, mentor scoring and case-log review across the eight clinical domains, with a written summary and confirmation of advancement to Year 2.

  • Ready to progress into advanced clinical development.

Advanced Competency (Months 13–15)

The start of year two — a shift from general competence to advanced clinical refinement. The aim is to elevate your standard of care through precision, aesthetics and long-term predictability, while maintaining efficiency and sound judgement. By now you're functioning independently, with mentorship focused on quality enhancement.

  • Advanced posterior aesthetics · complex anterior composites · anterior CEREC restorations · increasingly complex endodontic cases

  • High-quality restorative and aesthetic outcomes.

Clinical Pathway Development (Months 16–18)

A move from broad advanced competence to intentional clinical differentiation. This phase lets you develop depth in selected areas of interest while keeping strong general-practice capability - supporting that development without encouraging premature specialisation or unsupervised scope expansion.

  • Implant dentistry · clear aligner orthodontics · endodontics · aesthetic dentistry · digital dentistry leadership

    All pathway cases are pre-planned and reviewed with mentors.

  • A defined area of clinical interest.

Leadership & Professional Maturity (Months 19–21)

Developing you as a senior clinician within the practice — cultivating leadership capability, professional maturity and clinical stewardship, while maintaining excellence in patient care. At this stage you're no longer a trainee, but a trusted clinician contributing to team culture, patient experience and clinical standards.

  • Leading team meetings · managing patient concerns and complaints · coordinating complex multidisciplinary cases

  • Leadership, maturity and independent decision-making.

Senior Transition (Months 22–24)

The culmination of the program, confirming your readiness for long-term, senior-level independent practice. Advanced clinical capability, professional judgement and leadership maturity come together into a sustainable model of practice. You function as a trusted senior clinician, capable of managing complex care and contributing to clinical standards.

  • Advanced CEREC and digital workflows · full-mouth rehabilitation planning · independent management of advanced cases

  • You complete the program as a confident, senior-level general dentist.

Remuneration & support

Curran Dental offers a competitive and transparent package designed to give you financial security during the program, while recognising the investment both sides make in structured development.

Program at a glance

  • Base salary

    $130,000 per annum (employed position)

  • Superannuation 

    12% SGC (~$15,600 per annum)

  • Relocation allowance 

    $5,000 via Rural Doctor Workforce Australia

  • CPD allowance 

    Up to $10,000 per annum via the Health Workforce Scholarship Program (subject to application and approval)

  • Total first-year value 

    ~$160,600

This places Curran Dental among the most competitive graduate offers available in regional Australia. The CPD allowance is particularly significant: you have access to funded postgraduate education across implant dentistry, clear aligners, digital workflows and advanced restorative dentistry - aligned directly with the clinical pathways in this program. Professional development isn't an out-of-pocket cost; it's a funded part of your career growth.

Through structured progression, consistent mentorship, real clinical exposure and a supportive environment, the program gives you the chance to develop your skills properly, at the right pace, within a culture that values quality over shortcuts. For dentists seeking a meaningful start with real responsibility, real patients and real support, Curran Dental offers a foundation that lasts well beyond the first few years of practice.

Express your interest

If the Curran Dental Graduate Development Program sounds like the right fit, we'd love to hear from you. We review applications on an ongoing basis, so early expressions of interest are encouraged.