Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency

(Four-Year, Six-Year and Integrated OMS/PhD Residency Programs)

Four-year* and six-year Advanced Education Programs in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery are offered. Special provisions are also available for individuals to pursue a PhD or MS during either track.** Each program prepares practitioners to treat diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. The basic prerequisite for both four- and six-year programs are a DDS or DMD degree from an ADA-accredited dental school. See below for additional requirements for the integrated OMS/MD program. Applicants may be asked to take a special exam to replace the National Dental Board, which no longer provides a score.

Both four- and six-year residency programs are designed to integrate the fields of medicine and dentistry. The residency provides extensive surgical experience and exposure in areas such as oral and maxillofacial pathology, maxillofacial trauma, reconstruction, cleft palate, orthognathic, dentoalveolar surgery, implants, TMJ and aesthetic surgery as well as outpatient anesthesia.

In the four-year program, residents spend the first year performing oral and maxillofacial surgery. In the second and third years, 12 months are spent on various off-service rotations such as medicine, anesthesia, neurosurgery, and general surgery. The final year consists of 12 months of oral and maxillofacial surgery at a “chief resident” level. Upon satisfactory completion of the four-year program, residents receive a certificate in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

The six-year program adopts a similar schedule to the four-year program with the primary difference consisting of requirements for obtaining the MD degree. The first year is spent with the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery department. In the second, third and fourth years, residents are enrolled in medical school, completing years two, three and four of the medical school curriculum. During the fourth year of medical school, eight months are provided for the fulfillment of requirements related to the oral and maxillofacial surgery residency, such as rotations on neurosurgery, anesthesia, and general surgery services. The fifth year of the residency is a surgical internship year, which also includes a nine-month rotation in Oral & Maxillofacial surgery. In the sixth year, the resident serves as a chief resident with rotations to six different hospitals. Upon satisfactory completion of the six-year program, residents receive a certificate in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and the MD degree.

The six-year OMS/MD candidate must meet the admissions requirements for McGovern Medical School. These include:

  • A minimum of 90 undergraduate credit hours at an accredited U.S. or Canadian university or college.
  • One year college English
  • Two years college biology
  • One year physics.
  • Two years college chemistry (one year general chemistry and one year organic chemistry).

More detailed information can be found at the McGovern Medical School website: https://med.uth.edu/

*Three four-year program positions are available, however, one position may be reserved for a military applicant if there is a need.

**Candidates from either the four- or six-year tracks may pursue either an MS degree (granted by UTHealth School of Dentistry) or a PhD (in conjunction with the UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences). The General Record Examination (GRE) and additional courses of study may be required, depending on the individual’s previous or anticipated academic experience. The additional degrees will likely extend the duration of the residency.