Thinking of applying to OMFS Programs in the USA?

[Negura Bunget]

30 minutes ago, Starburst said:

Thanks for taking the time to write this up. Is there anything you would recommend doing now to prepare before starting dental school? And would non-dental research publications help me when applying for OMFS residency?

Nope. Enjoy your time right now. Once dental school starts pace yourself and do well in dental school courses. No need to worry about OMFS stuff at this point. 

• D1-2: Do well in dental school. Shadow here and there at your local OMFS dept and hospital to get a feel of things. 
• D2-3: Study hard and do well on the CBSE (70+). This takes presendece over shadowing and any other extracirriculars. 
• D3-4: Look into and do some exterships. A total of ~5 weeks is a good number.  
• D4: Interview. Match. 

[Starburst]

1 hour ago, Negura Bunget said:

Nope. Enjoy your time right now. Once dental school starts pace yourself and do well in dental school courses. No need to worry about OMFS stuff at this point. 

• D1-2: Do well in dental school. Shadow here and there at your local OMFS dept and hospital to get a feel of things. 
• D2-3: Study hard and do well on the CBSE (70+). This takes presendece over shadowing and any other extracirriculars. 
• D3-4: Look into and do some exterships. A total of ~5 weeks is a good number.  
• D4: Interview. Match. 

 

Thank-you! That's helps a lot  

[Negura Bunget]

Just bumping this so people can ask questions here rather than PM-ing me. 

[westcoastbestcoast]

Do OMFS programs look at undergrad grades? I would think the MD/6-year programs do, but would they hold you to the same high standard as med applicants in terms of your undergrad GPA?

[Negura Bunget]

40 minutes ago, westcoastbestcoast said:

Do OMFS programs look at undergrad grades? I would think the MD/6-year programs do, but would they hold you to the same high standard as med applicants in terms of your undergrad GPA?

Yup, so really its just the 6y programs that will look at your UG grades.  For many programs, the MD admissions committee is a part of the selection process from the start; sometimes they interview applicants on interview day. But, no I don't think you would be held to the same standard. Some programs probably do have a minimum, but I'd still assume that they'd care way more about the CBSE since its obviously a much better indicator of your ability to pass the the Step 1 and a more recent refection of your work ethic.  

[Human Being]

Hey, I have a few questions:

1. As a Canadian dental student how hard is it to do externships in the US for OMFS?

2. Will doing externships in the US help my chances of getting into a OMFS program in the US vs doing externships in Canada?

3. Do you think it is worth it to do the 6 year program here in Canada, what exactly do you mean when you say it is hard to get hospital privileges here?

4. As a Canadian dental school graduate applying to OMFS in the US, do I have to write the USMLE? I've heard you have to write something called the NBME, isn't that just the organization that makes the USMLE? Which test do I have to write and is it the same test that I would have to write if I were applying to OMFS at Canadian schools?

[Negura Bunget]

On 3/13/2019 at 3:54 PM, Human Being said:

Hey, I have a few questions:

1. As a Canadian dental student how hard is it to do externships in the US for OMFS?

2. Will doing externships in the US help my chances of getting into a OMFS program in the US vs doing externships in Canada?

3. Do you think it is worth it to do the 6 year program here in Canada, what exactly do you mean when you say it is hard to get hospital privileges here?

4. As a Canadian dental school graduate applying to OMFS in the US, do I have to write the USMLE? I've heard you have to write something called the NBME, isn't that just the organization that makes the USMLE? Which test do I have to write and is it the same test that I would have to write if I were applying to OMFS at Canadian schools?

 

1. Not hard to extern as a Canadian at all. Look into programs you are interested in externing at and email them about their policy on non-US citizens. Typically, programs aren't too strict about citizenship stuff for externships. It can be an issue for actual residency for sure down the road. 

2. Yes. It's essentially a necessity to do externships (~5weeks at 2-3 different places) for OMFS applications. Id try to extern at least some places (if not all) in the US just to demonstrate that you are willing to come south of the border. Also, for the most part, you'll find you can expose your self to a much more broader scope of OMFS in the USA. That's not a knock on Canadian programs, just how it is based on pt population.

3. I mean exactly that. It's hard to get hospital privileges in Canada (hard to be able to do OR procedures in a hospital) after completing OMFS in the USA. Not sure how it is if you do a program in Canada. Typically, the people that go back to Canada stick to private practice. 

4. You have to take the Comprehensive Basic Sciences Exam (CBSE) which is administered by the NBME for OMFS applications. People typically take it during their 2nd or 3rd year of dental school. It covers the same material as the USMLE Step 1, but is half the length. The score on that is very important for OMFS application, if not the most important thing. I discuss it in some detail in a previous posts. If you match to a 6y MD-integra ted program in the US, you will also need to take the Step I, Step 2 CK, Step 2 CS, Step 3 exams as well; but at that point youjust need to pass things and the scores themselves don't matter much. I don't know what tests you have to take for Canadian OMFS applications, since I never applied to any. 

 

[mr.smith]

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions - we appreciate it!

I was wondering when applying for externships in the US, how early do we need to apply by for us to have a solid chance of getting an externship placement? i.e. 2 months? 4 months? prior to the expected start date

 

[capnamerica]

On 3/16/2019 at 10:01 PM, Negura Bunget said:

3. I mean exactly that. It's hard to get hospital privileges in Canada (hard to be able to do OR procedures in a hospital) after completing OMFS in the USA. Not sure how it is if you do a program in Canada. Typically, the people that go back to Canada stick to private practice. 

Do you have any insight into the barriers OMFS face getting hospital privileges? I wonder if there's just institutional resistance (ie. politics) as opposed to a lack in qualifications.

[Negura Bunget]

On 4/7/2020 at 5:07 PM, capnamerica said:

Do you have any insight into the barriers OMFS face getting hospital privileges? I wonder if there's just institutional resistance (ie. politics) as opposed to a lack in qualifications.

Not personally. But most of the time its either an institutional issue where that surgical procedure has been done by another service historically at the hospital (cosmetics, flaps, craniofacial) or a true credential issue (not having a medical degree).  Thing vary from hospital to hospital.

[capnamerica]

Thanks @Negura Bunget, DM'd ya!

[JPS]

Is it possible for an IMG with (medical and dental degree outside of US) to apply for OMFS training in US?

[Starburst]

10 hours ago, JPS said:

Is it possible for an IMG with (medical and dental degree outside of US) to apply for OMFS training in US?

I go to UMichigan and we have faculty that are internationally-trained OMFS. So I believe you can but it might be tougher. I don't know how it works in Canada.

[DPH]

5 hours ago, Starburst said:

I go to UMichigan and we have faculty that are internationally-trained OMFS. So I believe you can but it might be tougher. I don't know how it works in Canada.

Most US OMFS Programs will only accept students who attended Canadian or US Dental schools.

[wowowo]

On 4/26/2020 at 1:34 PM, DPH said:

Most US OMFS Programs will only accept students who attended Canadian or US Dental schools.

Do you know which 6 year programs are accepting Canadian citizens? From what I saw there are about 7 (UMichigan, UKentucky, VCU, Thomas Jefferson, UPenn, UT at Houston, MGH). I am Canadian and attend an american dental school. I've noticed that some of the programs that used to accept Canadians no longer do so. 

[amal]

On 11/27/2018 at 10:35 PM, Negura Bunget said:

I'd like to be a resource for people. Something that I never had. 

Feel free to ask any questions regarding the application process, CBSE, 4 vs 6, interviews, grades, etc.

I'm a mid-level resident at a 6 year program. 

NB

Hi i would like to know how an europian student who has finished dentistry can do omfs program in usa with the fewest years?Sorry for my english.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Negura Bunget]

On 5/20/2020 at 6:11 PM, wowowo said:

Do you know which 6 year programs are accepting Canadian citizens? From what I saw there are about 7 (UMichigan, UKentucky, VCU, Thomas Jefferson, UPenn, UT at Houston, MGH). I am Canadian and attend an american dental school. I've noticed that some of the programs that used to accept Canadians no longer do so. 

Apologies for the late reply. This will change from year to year. Best thing is to email program coordinators and confirm their policy.

[charcot bouchard]

Could you speak to the path to go from OMFS residency in the US into private practice in Canada? I am a US citizen, my wife is a US citizen, but her mom is Canadian and so is my Grandpa. If I completed dental school and OMFS residency in the US, what hoops would I need to jump through to practice OMFS (private practice) in Canada? 

[folklore]

When applying to a specialty such as endo or OMS, do the programs look at which school you got your DMD from? More specifically, would it be detrimental to come from University of Montreal, where the DMD program lasts 5 years and is exclusively in french?

[CBubbleshorts]

Hi Negura! 

Thank you for putting yourself out there as a resource for OMFS applicants. I am currently in an AEGD-1 and will be applying to OMFS next cycle (2022 PASS). In regards to making myself a more competitive applicant to a 6 year program, what would be your recommendations (in addition to the typical high CBSE and externships)? Do you have a sample CV that you utilized when preparing your application? Any pearls of wisdom on what I can do to boost my application over the next year and assist with the application process. Thank you!

Respectfully,

Ashley