Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Return to: School of Dental Medicine

The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine offers a six-year, dual-degree program, and a four-year program. Three residents are accepted each year (two six-year positions and one four year position), and they commence training as interns in the department. In the six-year, dual-degree program, two residents join their corresponding medical school class in the spring of the first year. These residents earn a medical degree and participate in advanced surgical training in oral and maxillofacial surgery, spending a total of 33 months on the oral and maxillofacial surgery service. The four-year program offers a total of 33 months on the oral and maxillofacial surgery service and rotating on medicine, surgery and anesthesia services the other 15 months. The department’s graduates have accepted positions in both outstanding surgical practices and university attending positions at major medical centers throughout the United States.

Eight full-time oral and maxillofacial surgery faculty members, as well as part-time faculty and private practice oral and maxillofacial surgeons from the Pittsburgh area, provide surgical training and mentoring. The School of Dental Medicine has, on-site, a modern ambulatory surgical suite with full anesthesia support and facilities that enhance caseload and outpatient surgical management. The department provides instruction in anesthesia, dentoalveolar surgery, dental implants, head and neck pathology, cleft and craniofacial disorders, craniofacial trauma, and head and neck anatomy.

The program is designed to be truly “integrated” and allow for the maximal benefit of coordinated medical training, and progression of knowledge and skill in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Residents are exposed to the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery throughout their training-including interdisciplinary care. From day one, new residents work with first professional dental students in a training and supervisory role in the undergraduate OMS clinic. They are involved in managing emergency cases at the UPMC Montefiore Dental Center and in assist the attending surgical faculty in the operating rooms of UPMC Presbyterian/Shadyside, Mercy Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. During the entire final year of the program, the chief residents devote a full 12 months to the OMS service, working with an enviable surgical caseload. Residents are also required to attend the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Grand Rounds, Journal Club, treatment planning conferences in the Dentofacial Deformities Program (in conjunction with the Orthodontic Program), and the weekly Surgical Treatment Planning and Trauma Conference.

Application

The annual application deadline is September 1 of the preceding year. Late applications will not be accepted. Applicants must graduate from an ADA-accredited dental school, must apply through the ADEA Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS), and must participate in the Postdoctural Dental Matching Program (MATCH).

Interview and Selection

Applicants are screened for interviews that occur in November and December of each year. In late January, through the MATCH Program, two applicants are selected to matriculate into the first year of residency, which commences in late June. Applicants matched to the University of Pittsburgh are enrolled in both the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

For additional information, please visit dental.pitt.edu/oms-residency

The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery adheres to the University of Pittsburgh’s non-discrimination policy.

The advanced specialty education program in oral and maxillofacial surgery is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at 312-440-4653, or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611. The Commission’s web address is http://www.ada.org/100.aspx.