About AccessOMFS
Welcome to AccessOMFS! This site was created to aggregate information about oral and maxillofacial surgery programs to assist those pursuing a residency. The overall process to applying is complex, rigorous, and exceptionally stressful. Located within this site is basic information about individual programs, an application guideline, CBSE information and study materials, and other resources for the OMFS hopeful. Hopefully, this information will provide useful, however, please note that the information located within this site is subject to change frequently, and it may not always be accurate. I will do the best I can to keep the information up-to-date, and will rely on readers like you to call me out on info that is not correct. Other than that, I encourage you to participate by commenting with your personal OMFS application and externship experiences in order to help out other applicants in the future. Enjoy!
History of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
(Contributed by J.Y.A.)
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a surgical specialty recognized by the American College of Surgeons. These surgeons are responsible for the treatment of diseases, trauma, and defects of the mouth, jaws, face, and other regions of the head. It is a dental specialty in the United States and Canada, requiring a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree, followed by a 4-6 year residency, often incorporating a medical degree (M.D.). In Europe, OMS is a medical and dental specialty, where surgeons are required to have dual degrees in both medicine and dentistry.
The development of the specialty started during the first World War. Volunteer dentists of the British Army were called upon to work alongside their medical colleagues to treat soldiers with severe facial traumas. Among these dentists were the pioneers of both OMS and plastic surgery, such as Varaztad H. Kazanjian, one of the founding fathers of plastic surgery. Following the war, the expertise acquired from the dental background of these clinicians were recognized. It fueled the development of the specialty. James E. Garretson and Simon P. Hullihen were amongst the first to recognize the undertreatment of diseases in the oral and maxillofacial regions by the medical profession. In 1864, Garretson incorporated the first academic curriculum in oral surgery at the Philadelphia Dental College, now Temple University School of Dentistry. Hullihen, a trained physician, was the first to open a practice that focused solely on treating the oral and maxillofacial region. They are both credited as the founding fathers of OMS.
Today, oral and maxillofacial surgeons can be found in both large hospitals and private practices. Many are fellowship trained and play a vital role in the healthcare system.
Facial trauma victims of World War I treated by US Army dental surgeon Colonel Seibert D. Boak.
Simon P. Hullihen (1810-1857)
James E. Garretson (1828-1895)
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