​​Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/MD Residency

About the Program

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/MD Residency Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center is designed to provide training in the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery while meeting the requirements of the Commission of Dental Accreditation. During the six-year program, residents obtain an MD degree from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, receive training in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and complete one year in general surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Our graduates are well prepared for careers both as community-based practitioners and as academics. To explore careers in academics, residents teach predoctoral dental students, participate in several multi-disciplinary conferences, and fulfill a research requirement.

During the residency years, a salary is paid at the level of training. Tuition payment is required for the medical school portion of the program and financial aid is available. During medical school at Columbia, OMS residents complete the second half of the first year, second year, third year and core rotations of the fourth year of the VP&S curriculum, receiving the MD degree at the end of the third year of the OMS training program.

Close interaction with the faculty and postgraduate students in orthodontics, periodontics and prosthetics at the dental school serves to strengthen the resident's background in comprehensive case management in orthognathic, preprosthetic, and implant surgery. In addition, residents annually travel to South America with a team from the CUIMC Craniofacial Center to treat cleft lip and palate children, operating on approximately 175 patients per trip.

We recognize the combined program is academically and financially challenging, of long duration, and not the only option in OMS training. However, we believe that the opportunity to be broadly educated and trained in recognized programs in medicine and dentistry is desired by a growing number of people choosing a career in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Everyone accepted to this program is expected to complete all six years. If you fail to complete the program because of transfer to another program in medicine or surgery, we will require you to repay any tuition abatement, stipends, or financial support you may receive from Columbia University or NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital while you are in medical school. You will be asked to withdraw from your course of study at VP&S and/or the residency program at CUIMC

Participation in PASS/Match Program

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/MD Residency Program participates in the Match Program

Application Deadline

September 15

Program Start Date

July 1

Number of Available Positions

Two

Length of Program

Six years

Salary and Benefits

Information about 2023-2024 salary and benefits can be found here

Program of Study

Year July  Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun  
1st OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS VP&S Funda 2 VP&S Funda 2 VP&S Funda 2 VP&S Funda 2 VP&S Funda 2 VP&S Funda 2/Elec  
2nd Elec Elec VP&S Funda 3 VP&S Funda 3 VP&S Funda 3 VP&S Funda 3 3 wk Step 1 prep & exam. Late Jan begin MCY with Med away MCY MCY MCY MCY MCY  
3rd MCY MCY MCY MCY MCY MCY Elective +Step 2 CK and CS Sub I elective in Med or Surg Anes Anes Anes OMS +Jun 30 VP&S grad  
4th SUR SUR SUR PAnes SUR SUR OMS SUR SUR SUR SUR Anes  
5th OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS  
6th OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS OMS  


4 months Anesthesia (3 during 3rd year and 1 in Ped anes during 4th year) required by OMS: OMS is 30 months (minimum required)

Program Details

Formal Teaching in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Formal attending rounds are held each morning at 7am.

Physical Diagnosis

This twelve-hour course is held in the summer for all incoming hospital and postgraduate residents. Successful completion of the course allows the resident to perform the admission history and physical.

Surgical-Orthodontic Conference

This teaching conference is held monthly and is run jointly by the Divisions of Orthodontics and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Pre-treatment, pre-operative and post-operative cases are presented and discussed. There is also a joint journal club once a month.

Postdoctoral Implant Course

This formal weekly course, which is held in both the fall and spring semesters, brings together the Divisions of Periodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Prosthodontics. The course consists of didactic material and laboratory exercises, including implant placement and prosthetic laboratory exercises. Residents also gain considerable clinical experience in implant reconstruction and adjunctive grafting procedures.

Journal Club

Topics of interest are presented by way of literature review twice per month. Residents critically review the literature and engage in evidence-based medicine.

Patient Care Conference

In addition to the surgical orthodontic patient care conferences, two additional conferences are held monthly.

Topics in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

This weekly lecture series explores topics that are crucial to the knowledge base of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Oral Pathology

A formal oral pathology course consisting of lectures and microscopic evaluation meets twice per month in the fall and spring semester. Additionally, Oral Pathology CPC is held on a monthly basis. Residents also participate in the monthly New York Institute for Clinical Oral Pathology that meets at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell campus.

Head and Neck Tumor Board

This multidisciplinary conference occurs once per month.

Orthognathic Surgery Course

This lecture series is presented to both the oral and maxillofacial surgery residents and the orthodontic residents. Lectures include clinical and radiographic evaluation, diagnosis and treatment planning, model surgery, surgical techniques, complications, and treatment of the cleft and craniofacial patient.

Craniofacial Lecture Series

This is a monthly lecture series that is held in conjunction with the Craniofacial Center’s monthly patient conference. This is a multidisciplinary conference that is run jointly by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Surgical Techniques in Craniofacial Surgery

Fifth-year residents attend the annual Surgical Techniques in Craniofacial Surgery at St. Louis University. This is a hands-on cadaver course that is taught in part by one of the senior faculty of the Division.

Annual Cleft Palate Trip

Senior residents join with faculty on annual trips abroad to perform cleft lip and palate surgery in underserved communities.

 

Research

It is expected that residents will participate in scholarly activity while enrolled in the program. The opportunity to collaborate with other Departments at the Health Science Center and the Morningside campus is one of the strengths of the program. The Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is actively involved with the Center for Craniofacial Engineering and the Center for Skin and Mucosal Biology.

Program Goals and Objectives

  1. To conduct a 72-month Residency Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery that exceeds the minimum requirements set forth in the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation Standards for Advanced Specialty Education Programs in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
  2. To incorporate within the program a curriculum that, upon successful completion, will lead to the receipt of the Medical Degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University.
  3. To incorporate within the program 12 months of postdoctoral medical education which will qualify the resident for medical licensure in most states in the United States.
  4. To provide a training program that will qualify an individual to apply for the Board Examination by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
  5. To provide a didactic and clinical curriculum which produces a resident who is capable of managing patients with conditions within the scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery.
  6. To provide an individual with sufficient exposure to the profession to allow them to choose a career in academic and/or clinical practice.
  7. To help develop within a resident moral and ethical standards that are an integral part of a clinician's responsibility to the patient and society.
  8. To teach the resident to read and critically review the scientific literature.
  9. To promote clinical and scholarly activity, including basic science and clinical research and teaching.
  10. To assure the resident provides compassionate, appropriate, and quality care to their patients.
  11. To provide community education as to the role of oral and maxillofacial surgery in health care.
  12. To aid in the development of a well-rounded and capable oral and maxillofacial surgeon with a strong background in:
    a. Physical diagnosis, risk assessment, and anesthesia as it relates to oral and maxillofacial surgery
    b. Hospital protocol and the care of the hospitalized patient
    c. Comprehensive evaluation and treatment planning
    d. Classical and state of the art oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures
    e. Philosophical values that will foster life-long learning, leadership, teaching, and contributions to the science of oral and maxillofacial surgery

Full-time Faculty

Alia Koch, DDS, MD, FACS
Program Director
212-305-7626
ak2045@cumc.columbia.edu

Sidney Eisig, DDS, FACS

Mohammad Khoshnevisan, DMD

Steven Brody, DDS

Louis Mandel, DDS