— College of Medicine — Department of Surgery — Residencies and fellowships — Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residency — Residency overview

Residency overview

The oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is a fully-integrated six year medical degree/oral and maxillofacial surgery-accredited program. It is tied as the oldest integrated program in the country, and is part of the UNMC College of Medicine and not affiliated directly with a dental school, which provides the distinct advantage of more opportunity for major surgery and interaction with our surgical specialty colleagues.

The resident must take the National Board of Medical Examiners USMLE Step 1 exam prior to the start of the first academic year. This is in conjunction with the UNMC College of Medicine integrated medical degree/oral and maxillofacial surgery program.

Didactics Curriculum

Weekly seminars: Resident case conference, grand rounds
Endosseous implant didactic lectures
Clinical-pathologic conferences
Morbidity and mortality reviews
History and physical diagnosis
Plastic surgery-oral and maxillofacial surgery joint grand rounds
Hands-on education courses

First Year

The first-year resident spends 12 months on the oral and maxillofacial surgery service between Nebraska Medicine, Omaha VA Medical Center and Boys Town National Research Hospital. Uniquely, the first-year also gets to rotate and do select first-year-level cases at Creighton University School of Dentistry. The resident works closely with the chief residents, providing both inpatient and outpatient care. The resident has primary responsibility for examining, diagnosing and treating patients in the outpatient clinic. The resident also assumes responsibility for inpatients under the supervision of the chief resident, assists the chief resident and physician staff with operating room cases and serves as junior surgeon on operating room cases. Residents during their first year gain exposure to the broad scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery including reconstructive, dentoalveolar, cosmetic/plastic, temporomandibular joint and pathology.

Second Year

The second-year resident spends 12 months as a full-time medical student enrolled in the nationally-ranked UNMC College of Medicine, completing third-year medical school clerkships.These are mandatory third-year clerkships in surgery, pediatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry and OB-GYN. The opportunity to gain a medical education from a premier institution, enhances the future surgical and medical management of the patients that are treated by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. During this year in medical school, the resident is responsible for tuition at the in-state resident rate. Medical school scholarships are available. There is no resident stipend during the second year of the program.

Third Year

The third year resident continues within the College of Medicine, completing elective rotations as a fourth-year medical student, graduating from medical school in May of their third year. All requirements set-forth by the College of Medicine are completed during this year. During this 12 month period the resident spends three months on the oral and maxillofacial surgery service and four months on anesthesia. The remaining months are for medical school elective rotations. Residents are encouraged to rotate on head and neck surgical oncology, plastic surgery and oculoplastic surgery/ophthalmology. The resident may take elective clerkships in areas of interest that will benefit them as oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

While the resident is still responsible for tuition during this year, the resident is also paid half the resident salary stipend. Residents must register for the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge by April 1 of their fourth year of medical school.

Fourth Year

The fourth-year resident spends their time completing one-year of ACGME-accredited general surgery rotations. Rotations include plastic surgery, trauma surgery, pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, critical care surgery, vascular surgery, craniofacial surgery and thoracic surgery. One month is spent on pediatric anesthesia at Children’s Nebraska, thus completing the requirements for five months of anesthesia rotations. This year is a critical experience integrating medical education and surgical skill development and provides the structure to becoming a proficient surgeon. The USMLE Step 3 must be taken and completed during this year as per UNMC College of Medicine guidelines.

Fifth Year

The fifth-year resident rotates three months on plastic-craniofacial surgery, three months on head and neck surgical oncology at Methodist Hospital, and six months on the oral and maxillofacial surgery service which contribute to an additional one-year of ACGME-accredited surgery rotations. The resident is given progressive responsibility throughout this year, with numerous opportunities as primary operating resident surgeon, preparatory to becoming a chief resident. After completing the fifth year of residency, the resident will receive a certificate of 24-months ACGME surgery rotations credit.

Please note: State medical boards have provisions in place for graduates of accredited oral and maxillofacial surgery training programs. Graduates from our program have always been able to achieve full medical licensure in any state of their choosing.

Sixth Year (Chief Year)

The sixth-year resident spends 12 months of their time functioning as a chief oral and maxillofacial surgery resident assuming the responsibility for the overall function of the service. The chief resident is expected to be the primary operating resident surgeon on all major cases including reconstructive, trauma, cosmetic/plastic, temporomandibular joint and pathology. The culmination of multiple years of education and surgical training integrating both medical and dental backgrounds provide the chief resident with the skills preparatory to becoming a fully board-certified full-scope oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Licensure

The resident must maintain an active dental license and Drug Enforcement Administration license from the first year onward. Additionally, the resident must establish and maintain medical licensure following the requisite medical school and general surgery training. The resident will maintain basic life support, advanced cardiovascular life support, pediatric advanced life support and advanced trauma life support certification. The resident must complete the National Board of Medical Examiners USMLE Step 2 during medical school and Step 3 prior to completion of their fourth year of the program.

Research/Publication

During his or her residency, each resident is expected to prepare and submit at least one paper to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. This paper may be the result of laboratory or clinical research, and each resident is encouraged to formulate and implement an original project beginning in their first year of training. However, significant involvement in established faculty research may satisfy this requirement. At the minimum, an abstract must be submitted to American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (or similar) for presentation by each resident by their last year.

Board Certification

Residents take the yearly Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery In-service Training Examination of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. UNMC's residency program is designed to exceed the educational requirements of the Commission On Dental Accreditation and American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. With the broad scope of training, the program prepares the resident to obtain board certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery with encouragement to pursue full-scope oral and maxillofacial surgery following graduation and fellowship in the American College of Surgeons.

Over 95% of the UNMC residents completing our integrated program and taking the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery exam have passed, as compared to 80% nationally. Success on the board examination is a function of training, experience, and most importantly, individual preparation. However, this is only one measure of the quality of an oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program.