Hospitals  |  Rotations  |  Scope |  Didactics

 

Residency Overview

The residency program at the Washington Hospital Center is designed to train superior oral and maxillofacial surgeons who are capable of practicing the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery in a comprehensive, ethical, compassionate, and knowledgeable manner. The educational experience is progressive, offering increasing responsibilities as residents proceed through the program and offers an environment of collegial and lifelong learning. The program is designed to provide the residents with sufficient didactic and clinical education to meet the requirements of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. All residents should be extremely well prepared for careers in clinical practice, both in academic and private practice settings.

First Year

As you progress through your years as a resident your educational needs and interests change. The oral & maxillofacial surgery program is designed to meet those evolving needs. In the first year of training, residents will:

• gain extensive experience in dentoalveolar procedures in the outpatient clinic;
• learn how to perform a complete maxillofacial trauma examination on patients who have suffered blunt or penetrating trauma, gunshot wounds, traffic accidents, and other injuries with emphasis on diagnosis and treatment planning;
• complete a course in physical diagnosis/physical examination;
• evaluate presurgical orthognathic patients and actively participate in their work-up and treatment planning;
• regularly perform formal case presentations to the attending staff and participate in monthly journal clubs;
• participate in operating room surgeries;
• learn the management of soft tissue wounds, primarily through the emergency department and shock/trauma unit.

Second Year

In their second year of training, residents will:

• refine their technical skills in dentoalveolar surgery;
• provide parenteral anesthesia on an outpatient basis;
• regularly perform formal case presentations to the attending staff and actively participate in monthly Journal Clubs;
• participate extensively in operating room surgeries;
• present a poster project at the hospital’s annual Research Day;
• learn the management of soft tissue wounds, primarily through the emergency department and the shock/trauma unit.

Third Year

In their third year of training, residents will:

• refine their skills in outpatient parenteral anesthesia;
• spend three months managing both inpatients and outpatients at the Veterans Administration Medical Center;
• actively participate in the education and training of more junior residents;
• regularly perform formal case presentations to the attending staff and participate in monthly journal clubs;
• present a poster project at the hospital’s annual Research Day;
• take a more active role in operating room cases, learning a wide variety of surgical techniques.

Fourth Year

In their fourth year of training, residents will:

• spend six months as administrative chief resident;
• refine their surgical techniques through extensive participation in operating room cases, including diagnosis and treatment planning of orthognathic and other elective cases;
• actively participate in the education and training of more junior residents;
• gain extensive experience in outpatient general anesthesia and refine techniques for the surgical management of impacted teeth;
• present a poster at the hospital’s annual Research Day;
• gain valuable exposure to private practice oral and maxillofacial surgery by visiting the private offices of attending staff.

 

Resident Support

The Hospital Center faculty believes that the way to train humane physicians is to be humane to physicians in training. Meeting the needs for sleep and leisure time of residents means more time for reading about the patients under their care. Providing the opportunity for residents to shape their own education, have access to the latest medical information, and control their time allows residents to develop skills in life-long learning and problem solving.

Social activities , ranging from informal happy hours to banquets and an annual departmental golf tournament, are planned for residents.

E-mail and Internet access are available through department and library computers and the computer lab located in the resident’s lounge. Gym facilities are located on the hospital campus.

Two weeks of vacation are provided per year.

Visit the Graduate Medical Education for more information on salaries and benefits provided by the Washington Hospital Center & Medstar Health.