Thorough military OMFS analysis

[Gentledental1]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hey everyone,
Sorry if this topic has been answered somewhere already, I have tried asking on multiple threads and I can't seem to get a good answer and there really isn't any information on the web about it. I would really appreciate it if any past or current OMFS residents in the military can tell me about what their residency was actually like. These are the things I need to know but anything else I haven't asked would be extremely helpful as well.

1. How many implant cases do you do?
2. What is your exposure to plastics?
3. What is the percentage breakdown of time spent training in the different aspects of OMFS? (i.e. rough estimates of time in orthognathic, dentoalveolar, pathology, recontruction, general surgery...etc)
4. What does an average day look like? (what time do you wake up, what time are you off, where do you eat lunch...etc)
5. Is the 1st year a general surgery internship?
6. How often are you on call?
7. Do you ever moonlight?
8. What are the advantages and disadvantages about your specific program vs. a civilian program? (really, what are the strengths AND weaknesses of military programs? I know there has to be some, but no one in the military will admit a weakness in a program 🙂.
9. Is there any area that you feel you did not receive adequate training in? (I know military OMS trains the fulls cope of OMS, but what are YOUR perceptions?)
10. How much of your training is didactic?
11. What is the pass rate for certification by the AAOMS?
12. Do you do any of your training in civilian hospitals?
13. What aspects of your training were "military unique"?

Thank you so much in advance, i've spent countless hours researching this and there really is no information out there on it. Everyone just gives the generic answer that military OMS trains the full scope of oral surgery...yeah yeah yeah, I need more details! 🙂.

P.S. Please, no responses that sound somewhat like "you should just want to serve your country and the details be damned!"; I've already chosen to serve via an Air Force hpsp, I'm now trying to decide how I want to go about completing my residency. Cheers!

 

[AirborneDentist]

Hey everyone,
Sorry if this topic has been answered somewhere already, I have tried asking on multiple threads and I can't seem to get a good answer and there really isn't any information on the web about it. I would really appreciate it if any past or current OMFS residents in the military can tell me about what their residency was actually like. These are the things I need to know but anything else I haven't asked would be extremely helpful as well.

1. How many implant cases do you do?
2. What is your exposure to plastics?
3. What is the percentage breakdown of time spent training in the different aspects of OMFS? (i.e. rough estimates of time in orthognathic, dentoalveolar, pathology, recontruction, general surgery...etc)
4. What does an average day look like? (what time do you wake up, what time are you off, where do you eat lunch...etc)
5. Is the 1st year a general surgery internship?
6. How often are you on call?
7. Do you ever moonlight?
8. What are the advantages and disadvantages about your specific program vs. a civilian program? (really, what are the strengths AND weaknesses of military programs? I know there has to be some, but no one in the military will admit a weakness in a program 🙂.
9. Is there any area that you feel you did not receive adequate training in? (I know military OMS trains the fulls cope of OMS, but what are YOUR perceptions?)
10. How much of your training is didactic?
11. What is the pass rate for certification by the AAOMS?
12. Do you do any of your training in civilian hospitals?
13. What aspects of your training were "military unique"?

Thank you so much in advance, i've spent countless hours researching this and there really is no information out there on it. Everyone just gives the generic answer that military OMS trains the full scope of oral surgery...yeah yeah yeah, I need more details! 🙂.

P.S. Please, no responses that sound somewhat like "you should just want to serve your country and the details be damned!"; I've already chosen to serve via an Air Force hpsp, I'm now trying to decide how I want to go about completing my residency. Cheers!

Ok...I am not an OMS resident..I am in a 2 year AEGD program...but have been at Bragg long enough to know many of the answers to your questions...so I will do my best: (These are the Bragg answers...all programs are different and this is what I have observed)

1. Quite a few implant cases. All of the residents are well trained here.
2. Don't think there is a large component of plastics
3. Breakdown..not a clue
4. Avg day is starting in clinic at 0530 and going until late at night. As you move through the years, you can arrive later. However, during the first 2-3 years, 0530.
5. 1st year is all rotations. You are in medicine for months at a time.
6. The call schedule rotates. There is a 1st call (1st year) and then a 2nd call (higher classman). Usually on call for a week at a time. Always have a pager on you..and the call schedule is subject to change depending on who is available, who is on rotation, etc.
7. Moonlighting is not allowed when you are in a residency.
8. Can't go here on this one.
9. Unsure
10. Not a whole lot...mostly learn on your own, read up on this topic by tomorrow type of thing.
11. ?
12. There is a 3 month rotation in Houston for trauma.
13. You still wear the uniform. Still have military functions.


Hope that helps a little. Enough to get you started until someone else can chime in..

 

[Lifetime2Drill]

You should just want to serve your country and the details be damned!

 

[Gentledental1]

Thanks alot Airbornedentist, that was the start I was looking for and thats some of the better information i've been able to get, cheers!

Ha ha Lifetime2Drill, thanks for being "that guy" 🙂

 

[ArmyJawBreaker]

Alright, I will chime in here. I am currently and oral surgeon in the US Army and completed my training in Hawaii less than a year ago, June 2009. I am currently stationed in Georgia and the family is loving it.

1. How many implant cases do you do?

Over my four years of residency, I placed well over 150 implants, both in single and complex cases.

2. What is your exposure to plastics?

While in my residency, I had two staff members who loved plastics, especially my Navy mentor in Hawaii. We did tons of dorsal septorhinoplasties, otoplasties, a couple of mid and full face lifts, and tons of blepharoplasties.

3. What is the percentage breakdown of time spent training in the different aspects of OMFS? (i.e. rough estimates of time in orthognathic, dentoalveolar, pathology, recontruction, general surgery...etc)

The military gives you a ton of experience in orthognathics compared to the civlian programs (I counted my numbers up and did a total of over 150 total jaws my chief year), you don't get good at dentoalveolar cases until you become staff and do it everyday, did a couple of ameloblastomas and joints with ribs as pathology, you do 3 months of general surgery your 1st year.

4. What does an average day look like? (what time do you wake up, what time are you off, where do you eat lunch...etc)

My average day looked like this: Woke up at 530 am, got off at around 700pm, and we had a hospital cafeteria that we ate at.

5. Is the 1st year a general surgery internship?

No, the first year for us was all off service doing internal medicine, general surgery, and anesthesia rotations.

6. How often are you on call?

As a chief resident you are on call for 365 days of that year. As a junior resident, you pull call probably every other week.

7. Do you ever moonlight?

Come on man, you don't have the freakin time and your director WILL NOT allow you to do this at all. This is cut and dry, it is not an option.

8. What are the advantages and disadvantages about your specific program vs. a civilian program? (really, what are the strengths AND weaknesses of military programs?

I know there has to be some, but no one in the military will admit a weakness in a program 🙂. The strengths include orthognathics, implants and dentoalveolar. Disadvantages would be limited exposure to trauma, but I can't stand trauma because of the *****s you deal with and the hours it comes in the ER.

9. Is there any area that you feel you did not receive adequate training in?

(I know military OMS trains the fulls cope of OMS, but what are YOUR perceptions?) I feel that I was exposed to everything that the speciality of OMS is credentialed to perform. There were no glaring weaknesses.

10. How much of your training is didactic?

Didactics at our program was one day out of every week. So, 20% was didactics if you calculate 5 days a week and 1 day of didactics.

11. What is the pass rate for certification by the AAOMS?

The military pass rates are higher than the national average.

12. Do you do any of your training in civilian hospitals?

I did 2 months of trauma rotation at Ben Taub County Hospital in Houston, Texas and then another two months in Tyler, Texas with over 8 civilian oral surgeons doing trauma where I was the only person pulling call and doing the surgeries with the staff. Great experience.

13. What aspects of your training were "military unique"?

Nothing unique other than you being in the military and getting a military paycheck. I guess doing the PT test and minimal military training during the residency.

 

[Gentledental1]

Wow, thanks alot armyjawbraker, I think that was the first time i've actually recieved a credible response to my questions about military OMS. So it basically sounds alot like a cut and dry 4 year civilian program, really no differences. The only reason I asked about moonlighting was that was something I was told to ask program directors when applying, believe me, I wouldn't think you'd have time either. It surprises me that you don't get as much trauma, I was under the impression that military hospitals got their fair share, good to know, but I agree, it doesn't seem like something i would want to be emphasized in a program either. Cheers, one more year until I apply, I hope I get in!

 

[pmoney]

I assume with the initial gas rotation, you are well qualified to do IV sedation? Do you practice it regularly after your residency?

 

[bigmgreen68]

That is not a question i would ever ask a residency director when applying!! If there answer is anything other than you wont have friggin time to moonlight then i would find another program. Get in somewhere then ask the other residents they will tell you if it is acceptable or not and if/when you will have time. I can't imagine asking my department chair if i can go moonlight.

 

[Gentledental1]

That is not a question i would ever ask a residency director when applying!! If there answer is anything other than you wont have friggin time to moonlight then i would find another program. Get in somewhere then ask the other residents they will tell you if it is acceptable or not and if/when you will have time. I can't imagine asking my department chair if i can go moonlight.

Ha ha, got it, I will not speak of moonlighting ever, good to know 🙂