Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
The residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery is a six-year program leading to qualification for certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, completion of the MD degree at Harvard Medical School, and a total of 16 months as a Mass General resident in general surgery.
The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) offers an advanced education program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS). This integrated clinical and didactic program is designed to meet the certification requirements of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The Program is fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and is affiliated with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
Background and Setting
Mass General residents in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery become part of one of the strongest and longest running legacies in the history of medical and dental education.
Massachusetts General Hospital was chartered in 1811 as a private, voluntary institution. From the outset, the Hospital's primary mission in caring for the sick was defined, and simultaneously, a strong emphasis was placed on its educational mission. The first patient was admitted to the General Hospital in 1821. The training program for surgical "House Pupils" has continued to evolve since 1830 when the first House Physician and House Surgeon were appointed.
On July 17, 1867, the Harvard Corporation established the first dental school in the country affiliated with a university and medical school. A year later, the Trustees of Massachusetts General Hospital in their annual report noted the addition of a Dental Service in association with the Dental School of Harvard College. The Dental School became established in the North Grove Street building of the hospital adn was named "The Dental Infirmary of Massachusetts General Hospital." Harvard'd Dental School remained at this site until 1909.
The Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital today has more than 900 beds. About 70 percent of them are normally occupied by surgical patients. There are more than 550,000 patient visits yearly to the ambulatory care clinics of the Hospital and more than 75,000 visits to the the Emergency Ward. The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service admits approximately 700 patients each year and cares for about 10,000 outpatients. Additionally, the Service sees about 2,500 Emergency Ward patients annually. The full scope of the specialty is taught within the context of a combined M.D./General Surgery Program.
Philosophy of the OMS Residency Program
The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service is guided philosophically by the traditional aims of the world renowned General Surgical Services of Massachusetts General Hospital. The educational experience is progressive, offering increasing responsibilities as residents proceed through the program. The general philosophy of the Service is defined as follows:
In its internship and residency program, the General Surgical Services of Massachusetts General Hospital provide a broad education in the science and art of surgery. One of the keys to the House Officer's appreciation of the principles and scientific bases of surgery, as well as to his learning the art of surgery, is the properly placed assumption of responsibility. The program is generally designed to increase the responsibilities as rapidly as the House Officer is able to assume them. In this progression, however, the House Officer's primary obligation is to the care of his/her patients, which is also consistent with his/her personal primary goal of a surgical education in depth. Effort is made to maintain a program which is sufficiently flexible to meet the individual aptitude, talents, and needs of the developing surgeon.
Three residents are selected annually for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service House Staff. Appointments are offered to highly qualified individuals who are committed to a career of excellence in patient care, teaching, and research. The matched applicants are simultaneously accepted into the Harvard Medical School; however, entrance to the Medical School in the second year of the OMFS Residency Program is contingent upon satisfactory performance in the first year. Tuition to the Harvard Medical School for the 2007-2008 academic year was $38,600 and is the responsibility of the resident. Financial aid is available through the Medical School. A one-year preliminary OMFS internship year is also offered.
All applicants must be qualified graduates of a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA). The MGH OMFS Residency Program is six years in duration and leads to qualification for certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Each resident completes the requirements for the M.D. degree at the Harvard Medical School and trains for a total of 16 months as an MGH resident in General Surgery.
The MGH Residency Program includes rotations at the Children’s Hospital Boston (CH), which is a major teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. During the course of clinical training, residents will spend at least four months at this institution for a broadened and varied clinical exposure in the Specialty.
A regular didactic program of hospital rounds, seminars, and conferences is supplemented by specific courses in surgical anatomy and pathology. All residents are trained and certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ACLS/ATLS) during the first year of the Program. Residents receive a limited dental license during the first year of the program. It is the responsibility of the resident to ensure that this license is renewed on a yearly basis. Residents are encouraged to obtain a full Massachusetts Dental License prior to returning to the program from Medical School. Residents are required to obtain a limited Massachusetts Medical License when they begin their General Surgery rotation. Residents are also required to have both current dental and medical licenses once they graduate from the Medical School.
Residents are encouraged to undertake investigative work; however, clinical demands usually require that elective time be taken to carry out significant research projects. It is the intent of the Program to foster and develop both well-trained practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeons and oral surgeon-scholars who pursue academic careers and research. Teaching experience is also gained in the context of the Program. The resident staff participates in teaching third and fourth year students both at the School of Dental Medicine and during student externships at the Massachusetts General Hospital. All residents maintain appointments as Clinical Fellows at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
Resident Schedule by Year
| ||
PGY 1 | MGH OMFS | 12 months |
PGY 2 | Harvard Medical School (HMS III) | 12 months |
PGY 3 | Harvard Medical School (HMS IV) Six months of this year include an independent study rotation in OMS. This rotation includes four months of anesthesia and two months of special studies, including but not limited to, research activities, clinical OMS, or rotations in other related fields. | 12 months |
PGY 4 | General Surgery | 12 months |
PGY 5 | Split Year: |
|
PGY 6 | MGH OMFS
| 8 months |
The clinical program provides broad training in all areas of the specialty |
Dentoalveolar Surgery |
Outpatient Anesthesia and Sedation |
Trauma |
Preprosthetic Surgery/Implantology |
Orthognathic and Craniofacial Surgery |
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders |
Pathology and Reconstruction |
Minimally Invasive Treatment Alternatives, e.g.. distraction osteogenesis or endoscopy |
Residents participate fully in the pre-, intra, and post-operative care of all patients |
The Department is under the direction of Leonard B. Kaban, DMD, MD., Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Walter C. Guralnick Professor and Chairman of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. The residency program is under the direction of Maria J. Troulis, DDS, MSc. There are 20 Board-certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons on the Staff of the Service, 14 of whom are full-time faculty.
Full-time Faculty | Academic Title and Location (if other than MGH) |
Meredith August, D.M.D., M.D. | Associate Professor |
Sung-Kiang Chuang, DMD, MD, DMSc | Assistant Professor |
Thomas B. Dodson, DMD, MPH | Associate Professor, Director of the Center for Applied Clinical Investigation (CACI) |
R. Bruce Donoff, DMD, MD | Professor and Dean, Harvard School of Dental Medicine |
Thomas R. Flynn, DMD | Associate Professor, Harvard School of Dental Medicine |
Walter C. Guralnick, D.M.D., | Professor Emeritus |
Leslie R. Halpern, PhD, DDS, MD | Assistant Professor |
Leonard B. Kaban, DMD, MD | Chief of Service (MGH), Walter C. Guralnick Professor and Chairman, Harvard School of Dental Medicine |
David A. Keith, BDS, DMD, FDSRCS | Professor, MGH and Harvard Vanguard |
Edward T. Lahey, DMD, MD | Instructor |
Bonnie Padwa, DMD, MD | Assistant Professor, MGH and Children’s Hospital |
Edward B. Seldin, DMD, MD | Associate Professor |
Jeffry Shaefer, DDS | Assistant Professor, Director of the Oro-facial Pain Fellowship Harvard School of Dental Medicine |
Maria J. Troulis, DDS, MSc | Associate Professor, Director of Training Program, Director Minimally Invasive OMFS Program |
Part-time Faculty | |
John Buehler, DMD, MD | Earl Rosenberg, DMD |
Richard Catrambone, DDS, MD | Jennifer Smith-Williams, DMD |
Carol Lorente, DMD, PhD | J. Henry Stempien, DMD |
Special Education Adjuncts
Basic science instruction occurs during the resident’s regular duties and during the Medical School schedule. Pathological material is reviewed at OMFS Service Meetings. Numerous special conferences are designed primarily for the instruction of residents, including surgical and medical grand rounds, tumor conferences, and service rounds. Many seminars and lectures are held throughout the year including formal didactic sessions. Opportunities for attendance at local and national professional meetings and conferences are made available.
The Treadwell Library at the Massachusetts General Hospital carries the major English language and international medical, surgical, and scientific journals. Through close liaison with the Countway Medical Library at the Harvard Medical School, residents are provided access to the second largest medical library in the country.
Didactic teaching for the Residency training program includes: | |
Wednesdays | Chief Rounds with the Chairman |
8:00-9:00 AM | Resident didactic sessions |
Noon – 1:00 PM | Combined Orthodontic/Orthognathic Surgery Teaching and Treatment Planning Conference |
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (1st and 3rd of month) | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Grand Rounds (Combined MGH/Harvard, Tufts, and Boston University OMFS Grand Rounds are held three times per year.) |
Thursday | MGH Service Meeting (lecture and complications conference) Pathology Conference is held during Service Meeting once per month. |
Friday | Longwood Campus Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Grand Rounds, including Pathology and Orthognathic Surgery Conferences, held at Children’s Hospital |
In addition, a 10-hour Surgical Anatomy Course is held in April each year.
Administrative Information
Salaries: For the 2008-2009 academic year, residents are remunerated as follows:
First Year OMFS Resident (PGY 1) | $ 52,064. |
Full Year General Surgery Resident after receiving MD (PGY 2) | $ 52,568. |
Second Year General Surgery/OMFS Resident (PGY 3) | $ 55,089. |
Fourth Year OMFS Resident/Chief Resident (PGY 4) | $ 57,623. |
The resident stipend does not continue during medical school, special research, or clinical fellowship years. Individual arrangements with the research or clinical mentor are made for Fellowship support. The trainee pays tuition during the years at Harvard Medical School. A comprehensive program of financial assistance in the form of scholarship and loans is available for qualified candidates. In addition, opportunities for clinical practice may be available for residents while in medical school.
Insurance: | Comprehensive medical insurance is provided for residents and their families by the hospital. Malpractice insurance is also provided. |
Meals: | Meals may be purchased at reasonable prices in the hospital cafeteria. An evening meal is provided for those residents who are on duty at night. |
Rooms: | On-call rooms are provided. |
Uniforms: | Uniforms are provided and laundered by the hospital. |
Parking: | Space is provided. Residents are responsible for the cost. |
Vacations: | In recognition of the heavy clinical demands on residents, vacations are considered an essential part of the schedule. Interns and junior residents receive two weeks and senior residents receive three weeks of vacation. While every effort is made to provide vacations which fit individual needs and desires, time for vacation is scheduled based on the clinical needs of the Department. |
Meeting Travel: | The Department supports resident travel to clinical and research meetings for the presentation of papers and research results of projects carried out in conjunction with Faculty. In addition, the Department pays for each Chief Resident to attend either the Annual or Midwinter AAOMS Meeting. Stipend includes lowest fare domestic coach air travel, meeting registration and a per-diem for expenses. |
Application to the Program is made by completing the appropriate forms provided by the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS). Applicants should obtain the necessary forms by contacting PASS directly at:
Postdoctoral Application Support Service
1625 Massachusetts Ave NW Suite 101
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 332-8791
In order to be considered for the OMFS residency program, candidates must be graduates of a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association.
All applications and supporting documents must be received by September 15, 2008 for consideration for appointment on the following July 1. The Selection Committee will consider no application unless all credentials have been received. Interviews will be conducted by invitation of the Selection Committee and will be held in October 2008, at a date to be determined.
Selection of successful applicants will generally be made by participation in the National Dental Matching Program. All applicants are responsible for registering with the Matching Program at (416) 977-3431.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Academic Office
Warren Building - 120155 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 726-8222
Fax: (617) 726-2814
Email: oralsurgery@partners
Leonard B. Kaban, DMD, MD, Chief of service
John McGillivray, Administrative Director
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