Alphabet soup - why do we need so many postgraduate qualifications?

Postgraduate education, particularly for aspiring specialists, has become far too complex and drawn out. A proliferation of examinations, each with another set of qualifications, has led to the situation of 'alphabet soup'. The educational programmes for young dentists wishing to enter one of the dental specialities should be streamlined and the number of examination/qualification hurdles reduced. Such programmes should also be tailored to individual career needs whether in private practice, hospital/community service or academia.