The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery–Advanced Specialty Program is designed to prepare the resident for practice of the specialty and to provide the foundation for the continued acquisition of knowledge and skills. Clinical surgical health-care delivery is emphasized. The resident is introduced to research methodology and teaching to develop an increased awareness of its importance in assessing clinical procedures and patient management. The content of the program conforms to the Standards of the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and is designed to prepare the surgeon for certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Four-year and six-year residency programs are available. Residents in the six-year program will also complete medical school and a transitional year, including general surgery rotations. Residency begins July 1.

Program learning outcomes

By the end of this program, the graduate should be able to:

  1. Competently deliver health care.
  2. Continually acquire skills and knowledge to improve health care.
  3. Prepare for certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
  4. Demonstrate a level of academic achievement sufficient to enter into a teaching career, if desired.
  5. Use the basic sciences in the practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery in a competent and skillful manner.
  6. Integrate oral and maxillofacial surgical care with other medical and dental specialties in the health-care delivery system.
  7. Conduct clinical investigation and/or research studies.
  8. Practice the specialty based upon the highest moral and ethical standards.
  9. Achieve a high degree of clinical proficiency in the specialty.
  10. Document a broad and extensive level of surgical experience.
  11. Administer inpatient and outpatient general anesthesia, local anesthesia, and sedation techniques.
  12. Manage the administration of their practice.
  13. Communicate effectively in public speaking, lecturing, and writing.
  14. Demonstrate critical thinking—providing a foundation to become an effective student and mentor.
  15. Assess and treat problems of the maxillofacial region. This includes dentoalveolar surgery, maxillofacial trauma, reconstructive surgery, pathology, and orthognathic/craniofacial surgery.
  16. Demonstrate lifelong learning.

Program link: https://dentistry.llu.edu/admissions/advanced-dental-education-programs

Application process

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Advanced Program participates in the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS) of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), which allows applicants to apply to multiple participating institutions.

PASS applicants for the advanced education program in oral and maxillofacial surgery must also complete and submit an online application (llu.edu/central/apply) directly to Loma Linda University.

The advanced education program also participates in the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (Match). This program identifies and "matches" the preferences of applicants and the advanced education program, using a rank order list submitted by the applicant and the program.  A Match application is also required.

Application deadline

Application for admission should be submitted by November 1 of the year prior to the summer of intended enrollment. Applicants to the six-year program must also apply to the School of Medicine.

Applicants are required to have their California dental licenses at the time of matriculation into the program.

Fees will be charged but tuition will be waived for 2023-2024 academic year.  Residents are paid a stipend during training. 

Certificate

Major
OMFS 604Selected Topics in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (1)12
OMFS 605Integrated Orthodontic and Surgical Correction of Dentofacial Deformities (1)12
OMFS 606Applied Surgical Anatomy1
OMFS 607Principles of Medical History, Physical Examination, and Clinical Medicine2
OMFS 608Surgical Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Conference (0.5)6
OMFS 609Literature Review in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (0.5)6
OMFS 616Application of Surgical Principles to Orthognathic Surgery1
OMFS 617Critical Decision Making in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (1)12
OMFS 618Introduction to General Anesthesia1
OMFS 696Scholarly Activity in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery1
Interdisciplinary
GRDN 601Practice Management2
IMPD 547Implant Dentistry Grand Rounds (1.0)4
IMPD 611Introduction to Implant Dentistry2
IMPD 612Advanced Implant Dentistry2
RELE 534Ethical Issues in Public Health 23
Total Units67
Clinical 1
OMFS 614Clinical Experience in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Practice (7)70
OMFS 615Current Trends in Medicine and Surgery (2)12
Total Units82
1

Units for clinic practice courses are counted separate from the didactic units required for the certificate.  

2

RELE 500 level courses also accepted.

Normal time to complete the program

Certificate—four (4) years (48 months) — full-time enrollment required

Certificate/M.D.—six (6) years — full-time enrollment required

Chair

Alan S. Herford

Program director

Jayini S. Thakker

Pre-doctoral program director

Carlos Moretta

Faculty

Andre Guerrero

Jeffrey A. Elo

Murray K. Jacobs

Meagan J. Miller

Dale E. Stringer

Chi Viet

Samuel Young

Pathology

Anupama Grandhi

Susan Richards

Susan Roche

Adam Shafik

Courses

OMFS 604. Selected Topics in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 1 Unit.

Covers current topics in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and practice management during weekly seminars and monthly grand rounds by experts in their respective fields.

OMFS 605. Integrated Orthodontic and Surgical Correction of Dentofacial Deformities. 1 Unit.

Addresses preoperative diagnosis, planning, intraoperative procedures, and postoperative care of orthognathic patients. Includes: congenital and developmental deformities; surgical-orthodontics patient management; preoperative skeletal, dental, and soft-tissue analyses; and cephalometric analysis in treatment planning.

OMFS 606. Applied Surgical Anatomy. 1 Unit.

Applies anatomic principles involved in clinical diagnosis and in assessing clinical problem areas. Discusses anatomic consequences of surgical and treatment procedures and the anatomic aspects of emergencies occurring in practice. Emphasizes the vascular supply and neuroinnervation of structures of the oral cavity, and adjacent areas of the head and neck.

OMFS 607. Principles of Medical History, Physical Examination, and Clinical Medicine. 2 Units.

Focuses on developing accurate history-taking and physical examination skills. Specific topics include review of organ systems and associated pathology (physical and laboratory), hospital protocol, and charting. Residents perform history and physical (H&P) on medical and surgical patients. Emphasizes proficiency in developing differential diagnoses of common medical and surgical problems.

OMFS 608. Surgical Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Conference. 0.5 Units.

Uses recent pathology cases as the basis for review and discussion of common and ominous lesions encountered. Emphasizes differential diagnosis and patient management. Guest lecturers cover selected topics in oral and maxillofacial pathology. Repeated registrations required to fulfill the total units.

OMFS 609. Literature Review in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 0.5 Units.

A monthly discussion of recent literature from selected journals. Reviews classic landmark articles and their impact on the specialty. Repeated registrations required to fulfill total units.

OMFS 614. Clinical Experience in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Practice. 7 Units.

Addresses oral and maxillofacial surgery with emphasis on dentoalveolar surgery, complicated fractures of the facial bones, reconstructive maxillofacial surgery, surgical orthognathic correction, treatment of developmental and acquired deformities of the jaw, implant surgery, temporomandibular joint surgery, and osseous grafting of postresection and posttraumatic maxillofacial defects.

OMFS 615. Current Trends in Medicine and Surgery. 2 Units.

Off-service specialty seminars on a wide range of topics, including anesthesia, internal medicine, ICU care, general surgery, and various specialty topics. Repeated registrations required to fulfill the total units.

OMFS 616. Application of Surgical Principles to Orthognathic Surgery. 1 Unit.

Introductory multidisciplinary lecture-seminar emphasizing preoperative diagnosis, treatment planning, intraoperative procedures, and postoperative care of orthognathic patients; description of congenital and developmental deformities, emphasizing all aspects of surgical orthodontic patient management.

OMFS 617. Critical Decision Making in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 1 Unit.

Expands critical decision-making skills in patient care. Reviews data gathering, treatment alternatives, treatment of complications, and outcome assessment analysis.

OMFS 618. Introduction to General Anesthesia. 1 Unit.

Introduces the theory and practice of general anesthesia.

OMFS 696. Scholarly Activity in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 1 Unit.

Selected didactic, clinical, and/or laboratory activity developed by the program director or a designated program faculty member. Primarily designed for residents to fulfill the certificate requirements for scholarly activity/research in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Multiple registrations may be needed to complete these activities.