There are many reasons a person interested in oral surgery (OMFS) may be deciding between a year-long internship and a general practice residency (GPR). One reason may be an attempt to evaluate if OMFS is right for you before dedicating 4-6 years to training. A second reason may be an unsuccessful match. Whatever your situation may be, it is extremely critical that you put a lot of thought into the pros and cons of each. Since the content of this site is geared towards applying to and matching in OMFS, I will go ahead and give you a short answer. With few exceptions, an internship is an ideal decision for the reasons I will explain below.
In the first scenario, candidate #1 is a fourth-year dental student. They started dental school with an interest in dentistry but with no definitive goal to pursue a specialty. As they went through school, they noticed they had really enjoyed their time spent on oral surgery rotation and the procedures they performed while in the department. Overall, their grades have been good (top 1/3), and have a good relationship with faculty. For whatever reason, (family, kids, loans, etc) the candidate wasn’t sure about applying to OMFS with his other classmates. Fast-forward to the fourth year and now candidate #1 thinks he may be interested in OMFS. So what should he or she do? They want to familiarize themselves with the scope and life of OMFS, but at the same time, they are not positive that it is right for them. Well, if there is any intention of applying to OMFS an internship year is a must. It allows someone to become immersed in OMFS life. Other than being an attending or resident, there is nothing closer. At the end of the year (assuming they’ve survived), they have achieved a few things. The first is they can honestly say whether or not OMFS is for them. If they want to pursue a full-fledge OMFS residency, they now have something to bolster their application and show dedication and experience. On the off chance that they do not want to pursue OMFS, they probably have still gained some valuable surgical skills and knowledge.
In the second scenario, candidate #2 had an early interest in OMFS. They did reasonably well on the CBSE and had competitive grades. For whatever reason, the match did not go well, and candidate #2 did not end up in a residency. Although devastating that may be, they are persistent and want to reapply next year. I’m sure it is easy enough to guess which route will look better on an application. Again, the internship wins out. This time, the applicant already knows they want to do OMFS. The more important thing is to show that you are dedicated to the profession. Pursuing an internship also shows that you are persistent in the face of adversity. You are able to pick yourself up and try again. Dedication, persistence, and hard work go a long way. On the other hand, pursuing a GPR can make it appear as if your dedication is wavering.
The alternative for both is doing a GPR. It can be looked at as the “safe” route. Although some GPRs are OMFS intensive, most are focused on developing you as a general dentist. If you want to do general dentistry, this is a great way to build your skills. You may learn to place implants, sedate patients, and do simple grafting. In case you don’t like OMFS, or you do not match, this will better prepare you for your future. Unfortunately, this is not the mindset you need to have for pursuing OMFS. You need to be 100% committed. A GPR is usually not viewed as a commitment to OMFS and does not adequately prepare you the way an OMFS internship does. Why play intramurals when you can be playing professional on the way to the majors?
Obviously, there are exceptions to everything. An internship does not guarantee you will match and a GPR does not guarantee you will not match. Deciding is your choice. Internships are typically non-categorical and do not require going through the match, although there are some that are categorical. GPRs almost all are exclusively through the match. In another article, I’ll explore more in-depth about applying to and serving as an intern. Until then, if you are having trouble deciding, an intern year is the way to go! Keep an eye out on SDN, because they frequently post positions that are available!