Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Residency Training Program
General Information
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is the state's University of health sciences with programs at four main academic health center campuses in Camden, New Brunswick / Piscataway, Newark and Stratford. UMDNJ is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in:
- undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and continuing education of health professionals
- the conduct of basic biomedical, psychosocial, clinical and public health research
- heath promotion, disease prevention and delivery of healthcare
- service to the community and the state of New Jersey undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and continuing education of health professionals
The residency training program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is based at the Newark campus of UMDNJ in the New Jersey Dental School. This campus is also home to New Jersey Medical School, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Related Professions, School of Nursing and the George F. Smith Medical Library. The Doctor's Office Center is the campus's faculty practice building which is home to several of the nation's leading medical/dental specialists. It is located adjacent to New Jersey Dental School. Newark is the largest city in the State of New Jersey with an ethnically and racially diverse population of about 350,000.
Residency Program Objectives
The objective of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program is to prepare graduates for a successful and productive career in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The curriculum is designed to develop the clinical, academic and communicative skills that will provide for diversified career options. Graduates of the program will be prepared to pursue a contemporary full scope Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery practice and be prepared for licensure and the rigors of specialty board examination.
Six Year Residency / Integrated MD Curriculum
The six-year integrated MD training program has been developed to prepare the graduate dentist for an academic and/or private practice career in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. It is an integrated clinical and didactic program designed to meet the requirements leading to certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The residency program is fully approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. Following successful completion of the residency program, the candidate will receive a medical degree from New Jersey Medical School, a certificate of completion for one year of General Surgery residency, and a specialty certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Students/residents enrolled in medical school are responsible for the tuition costs and there is no resident stipend or salary while enrolled in medical school.
Year One
The first year of the program consists clinical training in oral and maxillofacial and physical diagnosis. Residents enroll in the Introduction to Clinical Science Course of New Jersey Medical School. Residents are given the opportunity for independent study in preparation for the United States Licensing Medical Examination prior to starting the third year medical school clerkships in the second year of the program. Upon successful completion of USMLE Part I, residents will be matriculated into the third year class of New Jersey Medical School.
Year Two
The second year of the program will be spent in designated medical school clinical clerkships. These are mandatory rotations whose order is determined by lottery system through the Office of Student Affairs and Medical School Registrar. The designated curriculum for the third year medical school is as follows:
| 2 months | Pediatric Medicine |
| 2 months | General Surgery |
| 2 months | Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| 3 months | Internal Medicine |
| 6 weeks | Family Medicine |
| 6 weeks | Psychiatry |
Year Three
The third year of the program is spent in the fourth year medical school clerkships. There are four months of mandatory medical school rotations, two months anesthesia rotation and the remainder of the year spent on oral and maxillofacial surgery service. Residents will also take the USMLE Part II during this year. The curriculum for the fourth year of medical school is as follows:
- Emergency Medicine
- Acting Internship
- Neurology
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Surgical Specialties
- Anesthesia
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Year Four
The fourth year of the program is spent as a PGY-1 on the General Surgery Service. The resident functions as a full time member of the General Surgery Department. This 12-month rotation is an essential component necessary for New Jersey State Medical licensure. USMLE Part III should be completed during this year of training. Residents will rotate on six months of core general surgery rotations this year as well as six months of pre-determined elective rotations including anesthesia and oral-maxillofacial surgery. Residents will receive a salary commensurate with their level of training for this year.
| 6 months | Core General Surgery |
| 2 months | Anesthesia |
| 2 months | Surgical Electives |
| 2 months | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery |
Year Five
The fifth year of the program consists of 12 months of rotations on the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service at University Hospital and New Jersey Dental School. The resident will function on a senior level with experiences and expectations consistent with this level of training. Call responsibilities will primarily be of a back-up nature; however, some first call is required. This year of training should bring together the skills and clinical acumen necessary for the resident to progress to the final year of training.
Year Six
During the sixth year of the program, each resident serves as Chief Resident at University Hospital. Additional rotations to the affiliated hospitals and expanded clinical / research opportunities may be available to the residents this year. It is expected that each resident have an abstract or poster based upon their research efforts for presentation at the AAOMS National meeting during this final year of training. The primary responsibility of the resident is to oversee management of the oral and maxillofacial surgery service. This includes, but is not limited to formulating the call schedule, arranging resident case coverage of clinical responsibilities, and preoperative/postoperative patient evaluation and treatment in conjunction with the designated faculty.
4-Year Residency Curriculum
UMDNJ offers a four year Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery training program encompassing the identical training as the six year integrated program with the exception of the medical degree. This residency program is also approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Year One
The first year of residency training is divided between Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Anesthesia, and the physical diagnosis course. Each resident enrolls in the Introduction to Clinical Science course of New Jersey Medial School.
Year Two
The first four months of this year are spent in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service at University Hospital. Residents will have increased responsibilities this year including overseeing the first year residents, IV sedation cases and operating room responsibilities. The remainder of the year is spent completing off-service rotations. While on these services, the resident will be expected to function at a resident level and participate in that services didactic schedule and call responsibilities. These rotations include:
- 2 months Medicine
- 2 months Surgical Intensive Care Unit
- 2 months Trauma Surgery
- 2 months Surgical Electives
Years Three and Four
The third and fourth year rotations are identical to those of the six-year integrated program. Upon completion of the residency program, graduates will receive a certificate of training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. It is expected that all graduates will be prepared for the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons examination and possess clinical aptitude in the full scope of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Eligibility and Selection
Both programs are participants in PASS (Postdoctoral Application Support Service) and the National Matching Program. The deadline for receipt of application materials is October 15th of the year prior to expected matriculation. Individuals with the following qualifications are eligible for acceptance to the training programs:
- Graduates from US or Canadian school approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.
- All applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Proof of citizenship and/or a green card must be provided before an interview will be granted.
- All applicants must be eligible to obtain a dental license in one of the United States prior to entering the PGY-3 year of training either by reciprocity or passage of the North East Regional Dental Board Examination.
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Teaching Facilities
University Hospital is the core teaching hospital of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey at Newark. It is one of the country's cutting-edge University medical centers. University Hospital provides primary health care services for Newark residents and is a referral center for tertiary care in the state. The hospital is located on a 46 acre campus with New Jersey Medical School, New Jersey Dental School, School of the Health Related Professions, School of Nursing, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Community Mental Health Center and the Doctor's Office Center. The modern 455-bed facility offers a complete array of inpatient services and supports the widest range of outpatient services in the state. Annually, there are over 19,000 admissions, 1,800 births, 180,000 outpatient and 60,000 emergency visits, and 4,600 ambulatory surgery visits. As the designated Level I Regional Trauma Center for the northern half of New Jersey, the hospital provides advanced emergency care. The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery service has over 200 admissions and 8,000 outpatient clinic visits per year.
New Jersey Dental School is a relatively young institution which was first established as Seton Hall University College of Medicine and Dentistry in 1956. This was the first institution established for dental education in the state of New Jersey. From its beginnings as a private institution, the school has grown into the state's major resource for dental education and research. The current facility was dedicated in 1976. The school awards the Doctor of Dental Medicine degree upon completion of a comprehensive four-year program to approximately 75 students per year. In addition, NJDS offers postdoctoral training in Endodontics, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics and Prosthodontics. Hospital based residencies are offered in General Dentistry, Oral Medicine and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Approximately 1200 patients per year are treated at New Jersey Dental School by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residents.
New Jersey Medical School has a total enrollment of over 700 students with approximately 170 MD degrees awarded every year. It also offers graduate medical education programs in most medical and surgical specialties as well as being a resource for clinical training and research opportunities.
A one-month rotation to Walter Reed Army Medical Center is also available during the final year of training for additional training in orthognathic and cosmetic surgery.
Faculty
The faculty in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UMDNJ provide a wide range of expertise in the full scope of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. This includes but is not limited to:
- Maxillofacial Trauma
- Pathologic lesions of the head and neck
- Correction of dentofacial deformities
- Reconstruction of jaws using both grafted corticocancellous bone and microvascular free flap transfer
- Temporomandibular joint surgery
- Dentoalveolar surgery with ambulatory general anesthesia
- Cleft lip and palate repair
- Craniofacial surgery
- Resection of malignant tumors including neck dissection/ reconstruction
- Management of odontogenic infections
- Dental implants
- Management of facial pain
- Microsurgery of the trigeminal nerve
- Facial aesthetic surgery
Pamela Alberto, D.M.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Director, Predoctoral Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Education
Shahid Aziz, DMD, MD
Assistant Professor
Assistant Program Director
Steven Baum, DDS
Clinical Assistant Professor
Meredith Blitz-Goldstein, DDS
Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of Anesthesia
Hani Braidy, DMD
Assistant Professor
Maano Milles, D.D.S.
Professor, Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Talib A. Najjar, D.M.D., M.D.S., Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Victor Petriella, D.M.D.
Clinical Instructor
Arnold H. Rosenheck, D.M.D.
Associate Professor of Clinical Dentistry and Assistant Dean for Hospital
Affairs and Institutional Development
Ira J. Saber, D.D.S.
Clinical Assistant Professor
R. David Seldin, D.M.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Gaetano Spinnato, D.D.S., M.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Vincent B. Ziccardi, D.D.S., M.D.
Associate Professor
Chair and Director, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Training
Program
Barry E. Zweig, D.D.S.
Professor and Director of NJDS Implantology Center
Educational Activities and Conference Schedules
Each resident is expected to attend every academic conferences sponsored by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and any conferences which are made available outside the department which the Program Director suggests for the residents. All residents and faculty receive a monthly schedule of conferences to allow adequate time for preparation. The purpose of the academic schedule is to provide a core knowledge in oral and maxillofacial surgery and to foster a sense of independent study which will aid in board preparation. The graduate will also be proficient in scientific evaluation of the literature and application of this knowledge to their future practices. A listing and description of the department's academic conferences follows:
Grand
The core lecture series is given every week. A faculty member, resident or invited lecturer gives a formal lecture as part of the core curriculum. This core lecture series occurs in blocks with topics ranging from dentoalveolar surgery to oncologic surgery and reconstruction. The material rotates on a two-year cycle and covers the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery. During the year, there are also four mock board sessions during which residents are questioned in the oral board format followed by a discussion and critique of resident performance.
Morbidity and Mortality Conference
This mandatory attendance conference meets once per month for two hours. The purpose is to evaluate any untoward treatment outcomes and develop treatment strategies to avoid having similar complications in the future. The management of cases is discussed using the AAOMS Parameters of Care as a guide.
Literature Review
A topic-based review of the literature is approached from classic and current perspectives each month for two hours. The articles are selected and distributed to residents for preparation in advance by the faculty mentor. These articles should be incorporated into the files of each of the residents.
Journal Club
Journal Club reviews current literature from journals related to the specialty of OMFS. There is a rotating journal list from which each resident selects one article and distributes it to the group for advance reading. During the conference, each resident critically reviews their article and discusses its relevance to oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Mini-presentations
Mini-presentations require the resident to prepare and present a short 10 minute discussion on an issue relevant to the practicing Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. A short handout is generated by each presenter and distributed to all conference participants. Each presentation is followed by approximately 5 minutes of discussion. This conference is held 6-8 times per year. Topics are generally selected from recent patient medical problems or surgical interventions.
Case Conference
Case conference meets once per month to review interesting cases. The resident presents radiographs and clinical pictures including the outcome of selected cases. It is expected that the resident has reviewed the literature and is prepared to discuss the case in depth, including alternative treatments.
QA Chart Audit
The QA chart audit is a mandatory one-hour monthly meeting moderated by the QA director. The purpose is to review randomly selected medical records with the residents in order to determine charting deficiencies.
Implant Treatment Planning conference
This interdisciplinary conference is held once per month. It is attended by representatives from the Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Periodontics and Prosthodontics. Comprehensive treatment plans are developed, presented and implemented by the respective departments on patients of NJDS.
Dentofacial Deformity Conference and Lecture Series
The dentofacial deformities conference is jointly sponsored by the Departments of Orthodontics and Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery. Twice per month, treatment planned cases are presented for group discussion. This is followed by a clinic session where patients undergo comprehensive evaluation by residents and orthodontic graduate students for presentation at the next conference. The associated lecture series meets once per month. Selected topics are jointly presented by faculty from the Departments of Orthodontics and Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery.
Oral Pathology Seminar
Oral Pathology seminar is run jointly by the Oral Pathology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Departments. It is attended by OMFS residents as well as the General Practice Dentistry and Oral Medicine residents. This seminar meets weekly throughout the year reviewing pathology topics. Presentations consist of formal lectures, case presentations and topic reviews by residents. All residents are involved in the weekly presentation and discussion of unknown cases.
Cleft Palate/Craniofacial Conference
The Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Conference is composed of medical and dental specialists involved in the management of patients with cleft lip and palate/craniofacial deformities. This group meets once per month. New patients are evaluated by these specialists followed group discussion and comprehensive treatment planning after the completion of each clinical session. A formal report listing all specialty recommendations is generated for each patient to assist in the comprehensive care of these patients.
Maxillofacial Trauma Conference
This conference is attended by members of the departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery. A designated faculty member presents a formal lecture from each division on a trauma-related topic and the lecture is followed by a group discussion.
Head and Neck Tumor Board
Tumor Board is a weekly multidisciplinary conference attended by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Otolaryngology, Radiology, Social Services, Radiation Oncology and Medical Oncology. Individual services present new and interesting cases for group discussion and comprehensive treatment planning. Residents will be called upon to present cases from the oral and maxillofacial surgery service.
Research and Library Time
Research and library time is provided on days when there are no scheduled conferences. Residents are given research and library time to use for research or independent study. These sessions occur at least twice per month.
Information for Admission
Application materials and further information can be obtained by contacting:
Ms. Brenda Brower, Staff Assistant
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey
New Jersey Dental School
Office of Admissions
P.O. Box 1709, Room B-829
Newark, NJ 07101-1709
(973) 972-3636
browerbr@umdnj.edu
or contact
Ms. Kisha N. Wesley
Residency Coordinator
Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
110 Bergen Street, Room B-854
Newark, NJ 07103-2400
(973) 972-3126
wesleykn@umdnj.edu