About the Program
The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Advanced Education program is a four-year program fulfilling the requirements for advanced training in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery as outlined by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. The residency program consists of didactic education in basic and clinical sciences, clinical rotations, and research.
The first year of training includes clinical rotations in oral and maxillofacial surgery, intensive care medicine, four months in adult anesthesiology, and one month in pediatric anesthesiology. The second year includes clinical rotations in oral and maxillofacial surgery, general surgery, emergency medicine, plastic and restorative surgery, and shock-trauma service. The third year resident rotations are with Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Fort Gordon and two elective rotations which are selected according to specific interests of the resident. The fourth year of training, or chief resident year, consists of a one month rotation at Fort Gordon and the remainder in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
The university offers third year OMFS residents an option to apply to the dual degree MD/OMFS program upon successful passing of Step 1 of the USMLE (http://www.usmle.org/). This a combined program between the Advanced Education in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program in the Dental College of Georgia and the Doctor of Medicine program in the Medical College of Georgia which leads to a certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and a Doctor of Medicine degree. The curriculum for the OMFS Certificate and MD program consists of four years of advanced education in oral and maxillofacial surgery (curriculum listed below) followed by the third and fourth years (Phase 3, year 3 and year 4) of the Doctor of Medicine .
The College of Graduate Studies offers a Master of Science in Oral Biology degree which may be taken in conjunction with the certificate curriculum. This joint program gives the student more extensive experience in research and basic science education and requires an in-depth original research project leading to a defended thesis. If the applicant desires to concurrently pursue a Master of Science in Oral Biology degree with the specialty program, the program length could be approximately 6-12 months longer. Tuition is charged on a per hour basis for the graduate courses taken. The applicant must be accepted by the College of Graduate Studies and the Department of Oral Biology. Application to the graduate program is made after acceptance to the certificate program.
Upon successful completion of this program a student will be able to apply for examination of Part I and Part II of the certifying examination given by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Admission Requirements
Please see the Dental College of Georgia website for specific admissions information:
http://www.gru.edu/dentalmedicine/adved/oralmax.php
We only accept candidates who are U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents.
Dentists graduated from a United States or Canadian school accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation by the program start date are eligible for admission to the Advanced Education Program in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.
Admission to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program is competitive, with initial screening of candidates based upon previous academic performance, letters of recommendation and professional experience. Applicants with professional experience following graduation from dental school, such as a general practice residency, are preferred. The list of candidates submitted by the program to the MATCH program is based upon the factors described above, together with the results of a personal interview.
The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Comprehensive Basic Science Examination (CBSE) is required for all OMS applicants who have received only a pass/fail on Part I of the National Dental Boards in order to apply to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program. The AAOMS will offer the NBME CBSE. The CBSE is an opportunity to measure the applicants understanding of the basic sciences and provide an enhanced mechanism for OMS programs to evaluate applicants.
Applicants with a numeric score on Part I of the National Dental Boards are not required to take the CBSE, however they may wish to take the opportunity to participate in the examination to strengthen their application.
Program Fees, Stipends, and Benefits
There is no tuition associated with the Certificate Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. If the resident is enrolled in the Master of Science in Oral Biology degree program, he/she must pay tuition for courses taken through the College of Graduate Studies. References should be made to Master of Science in Oral Biology for specific information regarding The Graduate School tuition and fees.
Stipends: Residents in oral and maxillofacial surgery receive a stipend during each of the four years of training subject to availability of funds. The amount of the stipend has recently ranged from approximately $47,000 to $55,000 per year. Augusta, Georgia is a beautiful city with a low cost of living. This makes it ideal for residency training from a financial standpoint.
Equipment: All supplies and equipment associated with the clinical program are provided by the institution.
Benefits: The Dental College of Georgia provides malpractice insurance coverage for residents while enrolled in the program and providing patient care. This insurance does not cover any outside dental practice. Residents are eligible for health care insurance if they pay a monthly co-premium. Additional benefits for Oral Surgery residents include meal tickets for use on-call. Residents are encouraged to attend courses, conferences, professional meetings as time permits, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery will fund these activities on an individual basis as permitted by its budget.
Leave: Residents are entitled to employee holidays, though assignments for emergency coverage must be maintained. Residents may be entitled to up to 12 days annual leave, 5 days of professional leave, at the discretion of the Program Director. 12 days of medical leave are also granted to residents as outlined in the Dental College of Georgia Leave Policy for Dental Residents.
The Facilities
AU Medical Center is the Level 1 Trauma Center for the state of Georgia’s second largest city. The Oral Surgery clinic located in the Dental College of Georgia contains an eight operatory outpatient oral surgery facility, equipped for the full scope of clinical practice, including general anesthesia.
The training program is also affiliated with the Augusta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, which is located on the same urban campus as the Dental College of Georgia.
Department Information
Program Director: Henry Ferguson, DMD
Department Phone: 706-721-2411
Accreditation: The Advanced Education program in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and have been granted the accreditation status of approved. 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 60611-2678. The Commission’s web address is http://www.ada.org/en/coda.
Gainful Emplyment Link
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program
ONET Code: 29-1022.00 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
CIP Code: 60.0101
OPEID: 01579
CIP Program Description: A residency training program that prepares dentists in the diagnosis, and surgical and related treatment, of diseases, injuries, and defects involving both the functional and esthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the head, mouth, teeth, gums, jaws, and neck. Includes treatment of problem wisdom teeth, facial pain, misaligned jaws, and reconstructive and dental implant surgery.
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