Program Overview

Advanced Education and Residency Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology

Program Description

The Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (OMFP) Advanced Education and Residency program consists of two tracks: one track for applicants who have graduated from an accredited US or Canadian dental school, which is federally funded, and one track for those who have graduated from an approved international dental school, which is tuition-based. The programs are a collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine Department of Diagnostic Sciences and UMPC-Medical Education (UPMC-ME). These programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Curriculum

Faculty members are certified by their specialty boards of OMFP, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral Medicine, or Anatomic Pathology, and possess a wide range of clinical, teaching, research, and surgical pathology experience. The residency program offers a mix of didactic courses, electives, microscopic general and oral pathology, clinical oral pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, head and neck pain, hospital rotations, and research.

• Courses, some required, some elective, include:
  • OMFP 2111: Surgical Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
  • OMFP 2121: Oral and Maxillofacial Histopathology
  • OMFP 2131: Literature Review
  • OMFP 2141: TMJ and Oral and Maxillofacial Pain
  • OMFP 2151: Research
  • OMFP 2161: Oral Medicine Clinic
  • OMFP 2171: Clinicopathologic Correlations
  • DENT 2150: Ethics in the Dental Specialties
  • DIASCI 2191: Pathobiology 1
  • CDENT 2113: Research Methodology 1
  • DENT 2130: Applied Head and Neck Anatomy
  • DIASCI 2110: Advanced Oral Pathology
  • DIASCI 2140: Advanced Imaging
  • DSPHL 2243: Scientific Basis for Clinical Therapeutics

Program Requirements

• The resident must satisfactorily complete all required hospital rotations.
• Under the supervision of the attending faculty, the resident must gross, diagnose, and order additional studies on a minimum number of biopsy cases, the number to be agreed upon by the resident and the program director.
• Under the supervision of the attending faculty, the resident must interact with a prescribed number of clinical patients and clinical consultations, the number to be agreed upon by the resident and the program director.
• The resident must participate in teaching, including lecture and small group format.
• The resident must complete scholarly activity, which can comprise case reports, clinicopathologic case unknowns, immunohistochemical research, or more rigorous science with a research mentor.

Rotations

Most pathology rotations take place at UPMC-Presbyterian Hospital, in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, across the street from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. UPMC is a major regional, tertiary care and transplant center that exposes the resident to a large volume and a wide variety of experiences. Rotations include three 4-week rotations in head and neck anatomic pathology, 6 weeks in dermatopathology, 4 weeks in hematopathology-lymph node, 2 weeks in Pediatric Pathology, 2 weeks in bone and soft tissue pathology, 1 week in autopsy, 2 weeks in Molecular & Genomic pathology, and 1 week in neuroradiology, with additional opportunities in Pathology Informatics, Breast pathology, Research, and Dermatology.

Externships

Interested dental students and graduates are invited to visit the facilities and get to know the program better. An externship/visit can range from a single day to a week.

Applicant Information

Applicants must use the ADEA PASS system. Academic credentials are evaluated by the Admissions Committee of the OMFP Advanced Education Program. Of greatest value to the committee are the applicants personal statement showing their motivation toward OMFP and letters of recommendation, especially from OMFP or Oral Medicine teachers/mentors.

Optional Application Documents

• Integrated National Board Dental Examination scores
• Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT) score
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores

Application Deadline

The application deadline is October 1. Applications received at a later date will be considered if the residency/advanced education position has not been filled.

Interviews/Selection of Students

Qualified applicants will be invited for a virtual interview. Virtual tours of the facilities are available. The schedule will be arranged to best accommodate time zone differences and will take no more than a half day. Interviews may include multiple faculty at a time, and a session with the residents only.

Benefits, Stipend, Tuition & Fees

Benefits for UPMC-based OMFP residents are outlined in the resident manual and the resident contract. A PGY1 stipend will start at $67,215. Advanced Education students/residents in the School of Dental Medicine program are required to pay tuition and fees, which total at least $73,000 for the first year, although a training grant of approximately $18,000 is offered.

Research

Each resident is required to perform scholarly activity. This can include case reports of classic or unusual cases, clinicopathologic unknowns, and performing original research. The University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, and surrounding universities provide a vast array of opportunities for research. Faculty within the Pitt Dental Medicine Department of Diagnostic Sciences conduct research in areas including 3-D printing and imaging, oral and maxillofacial lesions, immunohistochemical studies of salivary and odontogenic tumors, and data mining of the dental health record.

Accreditation

The advanced dental specialty education program in oral pathology is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.