OMFS 6-year and the USMLE

[marshall]

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Someone completely out of the dentistry loop asked me a question I had no answer for (sometimes it takes someone completely foreign to make you think...). Anyways...

For those schools that sit you with the MD students during the sciences (Columbia, UCONN, Harvard...more?) are you prepared to take the USMLE step I after 2nd year? If you know you want to do surgery and get your MD, can you save some time by passing Step I with the NBDE step I?

Or... for the other schools with their own dental science curriculum, can you prepare for the USMLE in conjunction with the NBDE (would it be too much)?

Thanks!

Cheers,
Marshall

 

[UNLV OMS GUNNABE]

Don't know if it's possible but man, that sounds like a nightmare. USMLE 1 + NBDE 1, ouch. I'm having nightmares just about the NBDE.

 

[omsres]

In order to qualify for the usmle you must be enrolled in medical school. Having said that it is totally possible to pass step I after two years of dental school as long as you have about 4 weeks to study. Comparitively the USMLE is much harder than NBDE part I.

 

[edkNARF]

Does one have to take any USMLE if they are in a 6 years OMFS residency?

 

[ItsGavinC]

Does one have to take any USMLE if they are in a 6 years OMFS residency?

The USMLE steps are only required if you are earning an MD degree with your OMS training. So in a 6 year program (these award the MD degree) the students must take the USMLE exams as part of their medical school curriculums.

 

[GatorDMD]

cleveland case western and nebraska oms programs require paaing usmle step one before entering the program b/c u begin in what is normally the 3rd year of med school.

my 2 cents.


gatordmd
UFCD 2006

 

[NCSMILES]

Why would you do the DDS/MD route if you don't have too? Why not just do the OMFS program without the MD? It seems like having to go back and do the MD degree, even though it is only the clinical part, wouldn't be worth it.

I have shadowed and worked with (in a volunteer clinic) probably 6-8 different OMFS and they all did a certificate program (non-MD) and they said there was really no reason to get the MD.

 

[Energon]

You are right the MD does not really do anything special for you if you are going to do bread and butter OMS work. Some people say that as an MD you get hospital rights easier... I dont see how this is true. As one of my MD OMFS instructors told me: Hospital rights are based on your status as BE/BC by the AAOMS and that is granted to anyone who successfully completes a residency MD or not.

There are a lot of guys who do fellowships like Plastics, Craniofacial, Head and Neck (oncology), etc... for these I imagine you have a better shot of matching into if you have the MD. Its up to each individual. My 4th year friends who just graduated said that this year the 4yr programs were a lot more competitive. If you notice, a lot of programs upto 2001 would give their residents stipends all through the 6 years and deduct the med school tuition in the MSIII and MSIV years... that seems to have stopped. Now you are responible for all your expenses during the med school years. Also, NYU seems to have changed their 6yr to 4yr.... so maybe the trend is changing since a lot of students are opting for the 4yr programs.

Keep in mind, if anyone does want to go into PRS after the OMFS residency, they still have to go back and complete two more years of GS before they are eligible to do a PRS residency, so it becomes 6+2+2 = 10 yrs

 

[edkNARF]

I am a bit of a newbie, so I apologize for my ignorance. What is the difference between a 4year and 6 year OMFS besides the MD? What advantages are there to having the MD besides having lots of letters after your name?

 

[ItsGavinC]

I am a bit of a newbie, so I apologize for my ignorance. What is the difference between a 4year and 6 year OMFS besides the MD? What advantages are there to having the MD besides having lots of letters after your name?

Some of the above posts (AAMD's in specific) discussed these things.

It opens more doors to those who want them opened, plus gives the added prestige of having a medical degree, etc., etc.

It certainly isn't mandatory and there is a plethora of great 4-year programs available to choose from.