Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology

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Program Description 

The Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (OMFP) Advanced Education and Residency program consists of two tracks: one track for applicants who have graduated from an accredited US or Canadian dental school, which is federally funded, and one track for those who have graduated from an approved international dental school, which is tuition-based. The programs are a collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine Department of Diagnostic Sciences and UMPC-Medical Education (UPMC-ME). These programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. As with all accredited OMFP programs, both tracks require a minimum of 36-months of training, with at least six of those months in ACGME-accredited pathology rotations. The UPMC-based program accepts a maximum of one resident a year, and the program at The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Residency Program can accept up to two residents per year. Successful completion of the UPMC-based program will lead to a certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and will qualify the graduate to sit for the specialty board examination in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Successful completion of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine-based program will lead to a certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, with the option to obtain a Master’s of Science in Dentistry (MSD) degree, and will qualify the graduate to sit for the specialty board examination in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.

For more information on our program visit our website at:  https://www.dental.pitt.edu/education/advanced-dental-education-and-residency-programs/oral-and-maxillofacial-pathology

Curriculum

Faculty members are certified by their specialty boards of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral Medicine, or Anatomic Pathology, and possess a wide range of clinical, teaching, research, and surgical pathology experience.  The residency program offers a mix of didactic courses, electives, microscopic general and oral pathology, clinical oral pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, hospital rotations, and research. Clinical patients are seen at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and though the faculty practice plan at the University Dental Health Services, Inc., as well as during the rotation in dermatopathology.A large part of the program is in managing and diagnosing biopsy cases at the School of Dental Medicine anatomic pathology (biopsy) service.

Rotations

Most pathology rotations take place at UPMC-Presbyterian Hospital, in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, across the street from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. UPMC is a major regional, tertiary care and transplant center that will expose the resident/student to a large volume and a wide variety of experiences. Rotations include 12 weeks in head and neck anatomic pathology, 4 weeks in dermatopathology, 4 weeks in hematopathology-lymph node, 2 weeks in molecular and genomic pathology, 2 weeks in bone and soft tissue pathology, 4 weeks in pediatric pathology, and 1 week in autopsy, with additional opportunities in gastrointestinal pathology (“GI quicks”), thoracic pathology, surgical breast pathology, pathology informatics, or research. The program allows some flexibility for the resident to concentrate on a particular area of oral and maxillofacial pathology.

More information including requirements and making an application to the program are available by visiting dental.pitt.edu/omp-residency

Research

Each resident is required to perform scholarly activity. This can include case reports of classic or unusual cases, clinicopathologic case challenges, and performing original research. The University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, and surrounding universities provide a vast array of opportunities for research. Faculty within the Pitt Dental Medicine Department of Diagnostic Sciences conduct research in areas including 3-D printing and imaging, oral and maxillofacial lesions, immunohistochemical studies of salivary and odontogenic tumors, and data mining of the dental health record.

The program in dental education 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.