Life as an OMS Resident

OMS residencies are rigorous. They require many dedicated hours in surgery, on rounds, in the clinic and in lectures. Residents frequently work long hours and are on call in the emergency room for maxillofacial trauma cases. Despite this demanding workload, most residents report they are able to balance their residency and personal lives and find both fulfilling.

Mentoring programs are an important component of OMS residency training programs. As a first-year resident you will have the support and assistance of your program chair, director and faculty. Everyone involved understands what you are experiencing and is committed to your success. The accreditation standards require close supervision of residents to ensure learning and competence in procedures.

In addition to the support of your residency program, the Resident Organization of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons offers opportunities for involvement as well as personal and professional growth through a variety of programs and activities. These include a forum for discussion of resident issues, indoctrination into organized dentistry and medicine, and encouragement as members develop into future leaders of the specialty. Residents remain informed about current issues facing the specialty through the resident section of the AAOMS website, Resident e-News, automatic subscription of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and direct electronic communications from AAOMS.