oral med/path residency

[wishfulthinker]

Hey - thanks for taking the time to look at this
so I'm kind of doing a little thinking right now - just finished 2nd yr - studying for boards - realizing that OMFS might not be what I think it is for me at least (to the OMFS residents reading this - I respect and admire what youre going through and the more I hear about it, the more I realize that I was more into the idea of surg then the reality of it - cause I dont think I could handle it nor do I think its right for me - first hint, I'm not all that crazy about anatomy.) But what I am realizing I'm totally into the oral path, oral med, diagnosis type stuff as I just started clinic. I have a 3.93 after finishing 2nd yr, path was my strongest/best course oddly enough it just might be the way my brain is wired, and I'm pretty sure it'll go down when clinic scores come in (they want us to produce to get points to make the grade plus my clinic instructor doesnt inflate grades) so I dont think I will be applying next year with more than a 3.8

so - is it called oral med or oral path - please correct me before i put my foot farther in my mouth here. does anyone know roughly how many programs there are? how competitive it is? im really not thinking about money, im a girl and im figuring my income will be a supplemental thing and i dont know how long these programs are - which worries me - i figure a gpr means 1 more year, so a 2 or 3 yr program wouldnt be that much more, but im seeing stuff on the harvard site that seems like they want a masters in addition, etc ,etc. im not looking for a list of letters behind my name. just wondering if there are 2 maybe 3 yr long programs out there and how long they take - if they entail a masters (i tried research twice in undergrad and last summer after D1 - and i admire it but its not for me and I promised myself i would not do it again.)

also studying for part I right now. so burnt out and new format so i fear i will be in the high 80s or maybe a 90 so i dont know how that will affect my chances. im just hoping this is the type of program where if youre stats are like mine, and you're really into it than there isnt much allure the way that ortho or omfs draws a lot of competition cause im a little weary of standardized tests (albiet i got to where i am now)and im pretty sure the people ive worked with know i know my stuff inside and out.

thanks for any ideas and have a great day

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[monreal]

... does anyone know roughly how many programs there are?...

Try these:

http://www.aaomp.org/general/edu.html

http://www5.adea.org/EPS/searchform.asp

All I know is that UPenn oral medicine had barely filled its spots in 2007.

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hey - thanks for taking the time to look at this
so I'm kind of doing a little thinking right now - just finished 2nd yr - studying for boards - realizing that OMFS might not be what I think it is for me at least (to the OMFS residents reading this - I respect and admire what youre going through and the more I hear about it, the more I realize that I was more into the idea of surg then the reality of it - cause I dont think I could handle it nor do I think its right for me - first hint, I'm not all that crazy about anatomy.) But what I am realizing I'm totally into the oral path, oral med, diagnosis type stuff as I just started clinic. I have a 3.93 after finishing 2nd yr, path was my strongest/best course oddly enough it just might be the way my brain is wired, and I'm pretty sure it'll go down when clinic scores come in (they want us to produce to get points to make the grade plus my clinic instructor doesnt inflate grades) so I dont think I will be applying next year with more than a 3.8

so - is it called oral med or oral path - please correct me before i put my foot farther in my mouth here. does anyone know roughly how many programs there are? how competitive it is? im really not thinking about money, im a girl and im figuring my income will be a supplemental thing and i dont know how long these programs are - which worries me - i figure a gpr means 1 more year, so a 2 or 3 yr program wouldnt be that much more, but im seeing stuff on the harvard site that seems like they want a masters in addition, etc ,etc. im not looking for a list of letters behind my name. just wondering if there are 2 maybe 3 yr long programs out there and how long they take - if they entail a masters (i tried research twice in undergrad and last summer after D1 - and i admire it but its not for me and I promised myself i would not do it again.)

also studying for part I right now. so burnt out and new format so i fear i will be in the high 80s or maybe a 90 so i dont know how that will affect my chances. im just hoping this is the type of program where if youre stats are like mine, and you're really into it than there isnt much allure the way that ortho or omfs draws a lot of competition cause im a little weary of standardized tests (albiet i got to where i am now)and im pretty sure the people ive worked with know i know my stuff inside and out.

thanks for any ideas and have a great day

Hello,

Oral medicine and oral pathology are two different animals but overlap somewhat with each other. Oral pathology deals with the indentifying and the study the diseases in the oral cavity and the associated structures. Oral med is focusing on oral health of the medically compromised patients as well as diagnosing the pathology in the maxillofacial region although it overlaps with what the oral pathologist does. Oral pathology is a recognized dental specialty while oral medicine is not. Both requires 2 years of residency that is not as competitive to gain admission as other dental specialties. These two disciplines are not surgically orientated and more of a teaching/consultation type jobs. However, I know some OM people who have full time private practice also. You should contact Dr. Bob Arm in the Dental forum for more informative answers about OM/OP. DP