ANOTHER OMFS question

[anxietypeaker]

sorry if im posting this again, my internet is going wierd.

For MDs, general surgery isnt particularly hard to get into (just cant be last in your class). But to get into an academia residency, you gotta be real good.

Now, i was just wondering how competitive it is to get into any OMFS prog. ANd then how difficult is it to get into an MD OMFS prog. Do these two correlate with the above two examples?

Lastly, for the people who are in residency for an MD/DDS prog, why didnt you pursue medicine from the beginning? Any specific reasons would help. Im trying to figure this out myself.

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[OMFSCardsFan]

sorry if im posting this again, my internet is going wierd.

For MDs, general surgery isnt particularly hard to get into (just cant be last in your class). But to get into an academia residency, you gotta be real good.

Now, i was just wondering how competitive it is to get into any OMFS prog. ANd then how difficult is it to get into an MD OMFS prog. Do these two correlate with the above two examples?

Lastly, for the people who are in residency for an MD/DDS prog, why didnt you pursue medicine from the beginning? Any specific reasons would help. Im trying to figure this out myself.

If you want to do either track for OMFS, you should aim to be within the top 10% of your dental class and to score above a 90 on the NDB Part I. In addition, you'll probably need to spruce up your CV with research, leadership, externships, etc to strengthen your application.

OMFS positions are available in academia pretty much anywhere you want to go. You definitely wouldn't have trouble finding an open door if you're interested in that route.

When I started high school, I wanted to go into medicine. My grandfather and one of my uncles were physicians. Both were less than impressed with the direction that medicine was taking, and they thought that the dental route was the way to go (two of my uncles are dentists). The more I researched the two, the more I realized that dentistry fit more with what I wanted to do with my life. However, it wasn't until I was into my third year when I realized I hated operative dentistry, crown and bridge, and removable prosthodontics. Oral surgery was really the only avenue in dentistry that I thought would hold my attention for the long term. It's holding my attention for about 120 hours per week right now...

 

[anxietypeaker]

How much harder are MD/DDS progs compared to DDS progs?

How much harder does it get if i want to do a program in academia (you said theres a lot, so does that not change the competitiveness)?

Any suggestions for me on how to decide between dentistry/podiatry/medicine?

 

[OMFSCardsFan]

How much harder are MD/DDS progs compared to DDS progs?

How much harder does it get if i want to do a program in academia (you said theres a lot, so does that not change the competitiveness)?

Any suggestions for me on how to decide between dentistry/podiatry/medicine?

The difficulty of getting into a program depends specifically on the program, not if it's 4 or 6 years. There are great programs in both categories, and there are crappy programs in both.

All programs that I know of are associated with teaching facilities, so you can go anywhere to get you ready to go into academia.

Your last question is way too broad for me to answer. You need to look at what your expectations for your life are, and then research each one carefully to see if it meets your expectations.

 

[drhobie7]

Any suggestions for me on how to decide between dentistry/podiatry/medicine?

Spend a lot of time with each doctor. Ask them what they like and don't like about their professions. Then ask yourself if you have a foot fetish.

 

[Yah-E]

OK, I know what AAOMS is, I know what ABOMS is, but what is ACOMS (American College of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery) and what do they do?

http://www.acoms.org/

I looked through the website and it's not really that informational. Do majority of the OMFSurgeons belong to this organization?

Also, please explain "Diplomat" status for OMFS?

 

[toofache32]

How much harder are MD/DDS progs compared to DDS progs?

...Lastly, for the people who are in residency for an MD/DDS prog, why didnt you pursue medicine from the beginning? Any specific reasons would help. Im trying to figure this out myself.

I don't think the MD OMFS programs are more difficult. If anything, they're easier because you have about 2 years of med school which is a joke after dental school. All you have to do is show up every day and pretend to be interested. That's all. It's a nice break from the responsibility you have as a resident.

As far as pursuing medicine from the beginning, this is irrelevant to OMFS. You don't go into OMFS just to get an MD...the MD is peripheral to our training and optional. It's not an endpoint. OMFS is a dental specialty regardless of other degrees you have and the majority of your referrals as a specialist are from other dentists.

 

[anxietypeaker]

I never meant that MD is the end of the line for DDS. What i meant was if SURGERY is your end of the line goal (ie OMFS), why not pursue medicine? I want to know the reason so that i can make a good decision on which to pursue. I want to do surgery, but i dont like medicine's direction.

 

[toofache32]

I'm not sure I follow you. Broadly speaking, even as a general dentist you will do surgery, there's no way around it. In medicine, you will only do surgery if you go into a surgical specialty.