Massachusetts General Hospital/HMS MD Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Training Program

The Massachusetts General Hospital 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 and was named "The Dental Infirmary of Massachusetts General Hospital." Harvard Dental School remained at this site until 1909.

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 OMFS 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 accepted into the Mass General Hospital/Harvard Medical School OMFS six year residency program. Tuition to the Harvard Medical School for the 2015-2016 academic year is $55,850. Tuition is the responsibility of the resident. Financial aid is available through the Medical School. A one-year preliminary OMS 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 a Mass General resident in General Surgery.

Remembering Walter C. Guralnick, DMD

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that our good friend and longtime colleague, Walter C. Guralnick, DMD, chief emeritus of the Mass General Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, passed away on September 6, 2017 at the age of 100. He will be remembered for his visionary work in the field of OMFS, his remarkable passion for sharing his expertise with generations of students and for his commitment to helping patients who couldn’t afford dental care. His career spanned 70 years and he was working full-time in the OMFS residency program and supporting the hospital. He will be remembered for the many contributions he made to the department and hospital. Mass General is a better, stronger and kinder place because Dr. Guralnick was a part of our family for many years. He was a personal friend to many, including Maria Troulis, DDS, MS, current chief of OMFS. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends.

Learn more about this career and success in this Boston Globe article.

The Mass General OMFS 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. Over 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.

In order to be considered for the OMFS residency program, candidates must be on track to graduate from a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association. Verification of successful completion of dental school will be required before commencement of the residency program.

Application to the Program is made by completing the appropriate forms provided by the ADEA Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS). Applicants should obtain the necessary forms by contacting PASS directly at www.adea.org.

ADEA PASS Customer Service Representatives are available:
Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm (Eastern time zone)
Email:  passinfo@passweb.org
Phone:  617-612-2065

In addition to the PASS application, applicants must submit the following supporting documents (all documents can be uploaded to the PASS application):

• Official undergraduate (college) transcript
• Official Dental School transcript
• NBDE Score
• NBME CBSE Score
• CV/resume
• 2 x 2 photograph
• 3 letters of recommendation

All applications and supporting documents must be received by September 15, 2017 to be considered for an interview.  The Selection Committee will only consider applications that are complete with all credentials received by the published deadline. Interviews are granted by invitation of the Selection Committee and will be conducted on November 3, 2017 for acceptance into the program beginning July 1, 2018.

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 or www.natmatch.com.

R. John Tannyhill, III, DDS, MD, FACS
OMFS Residency Program Director
Email: RJTannyhill@mgh.harvard.edu 

For questions about the residency application process, please contact:

Jared Katz
OMFS Residency Program Coordinator
Massachusetts General Hospital
55 Fruit Street, Warren 1201
Boston, MA 02114
Email: omfsresidency@partners.org
Phone: 617-724-4096
Fax: 617-726-2814

*Transfer or non-categorical resident