"Oral and maxillofacial surgery is the specialty of dentistry which includes the diagnosis, surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and esthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region" (ADA).
How long is oral and maxillofacial surgery residency?
4 to 6 years depending on if the program offers an MD degree
1-year non-categorical internships available at most programs
What makes a good applicant?
Top 10% of the class, a CBSE score of 70+, externship experience, OMS study club involvement, letters of recommendation, and good interviewing skills will make you a strong applicant for OMS programs. It's also recommended to spend time in the oral surgery clinic; there's a lot of opportunity to shadow and assist during night clinic.
Things we wish we knew before applying?
The CBSE is a very difficult exam offered only twice a year (once in February, once in August) and so it is recommended to start studying for it in at the end of your first year, and try taking it for the first time in August of second year. Because UOP is an accelerated program, it's important to start doing externships as early as the end of first year. A lot of programs only want D3 or D4s as externs, so usually you'll have to let them know UOP is an accelerated program and our D2 is equivalent to D3s at other programs. Try to do at least 3 externships; not only is it important for applying but it will also give you insight into what OMS residency is like.
What is an externship?
Some programs offer 1-4 week externships where dental students are exposed to OMS residency. Depending on the program, some are hands-on while some are observation only. Externs will get to experience seminars, clinics, and operating rooms. Make sure to contact programs well in advance to set up externships as UOP's short breaks restrict when you can extern and externship spots are limited.
What is an internship?
A non-categorical internship is a one-year program that is not counted towards the 4 or 6 years of an OMS residency. If you do not match with a program for residency, sometimes a program will offer a one-year internship. During the internship you receive an education and training in OMS, and it is a great experience that will strengthen your application for OMS residency.
Why should you do Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?
In-depth medical education
Opportunity to treat medically complex patients and those with craniofacial defects
Interprofessional hospital experience
High income potential
Large impact on patients lives
Unique subspecialties
Why should you not do Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?
Very long residency
Very competitive application process
If you cannot tolerate long and invasive procedures
Challenging residency with long hours
On call shifts
Statistics of Accepted Applicants: Categorical
Rank
Class of 2023: None accepted
Class of 2022: 2
Average GPA
Class of 2023: None accepted
Class of 2022: 3.83
Accepted Applicants
Class of 2024: 3/3 (100%)
Class of 2023: 0/6 (0%)
Alumni Applied in 2023: 2/6 (33%)
Class of 2022: 1/2 (50%)
Alumni Applied in 2022: 5/7 (71%)
Class of 2021: 3/3 matched (100%)
Alumni Applied in 2021: 3/5 (60%)
Class of 2020: 2/3 (66%)
Alumni Applied in 2020: 2/7 (29%)
Class of 2019: 2/2 (100%)
Alumni Applied in 2019: 2/5 (40%)
Class of 2018: 4/5 (80%)
Alumni Applied in 2018: 4/5 (80%)
Recommended CBSE Scores (Updated Scoring System)
65+
Statistics of Accepted Applicants: Non-Categorical
Rank
Class of 2023: 8 - 107, avg 50
Class of 2022: 50, avg 50
Average GPA
Class of 2023: 3.42
Class of 2022: 3.34
Accepted Applicants
Class of 2023: 5/6 (83%)
Class of 2022: 6/7 matched (86%)
Class of 2021: 3/3 matched (100%)
Class of 2020: 1/1
Class of 2019: 0
Class of 2018: 0
Department Chair:
Dr. David K. Lam, MD, DDS, PhD, FRCDC | dlam@pacific.edu
OMS Study Club (President):
John Killam, DDS '24 | jmkillam72@gmail.com | UCSF, San Francisco, CA
Travis Huang, DDS '24 |j_hunag72@u.pacific.edu| Texas A&M University, Dallas, TX
UoP Alumni:
Mike Pedram, DDS '19 | michaelpedram@gmail.com | UCSF, San Francisco, CA
Alston Trinh, DDS '19 | alston.trinh@unmc.edu | University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Drake Extrom, DDS '20 | dextrom@icloud.com | Alameda Health System, Highland General Hospital, Oakland, CA
Hassan Iqbal, IDS '20 | drhassaniqbal@gmail.com | University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, TN
Calvin Maxwell, DDS '23 |c_maxwell2@u.pacific.edu| Harbor UCLA, Torrance, CA
Shiv Patel, DDS '24 |s_patel65@u.pacific.edu | Texas A&M University, Dallas, TX
Joe Perez, DDS '24 |p_perez8@u.pacific.edu| UCSF Fresno, Fresno, CA
John Killam, DDS '24 | jmkillam72@gmail.com | UCSF, San Francisco, CA
Travis Huang, DDS '24 |j_hunag72@u.pacific.edu| Texas A&M University, Dallas, TX