Program Overview

Residents are oriented to physical diagnosis upon enrollment in the program.  After an introductory course within the department, first year residents rotate at St. Joseph's University Medical Center family practice facility to acquire basic skills in history taking and physical examination.  Later, residents are assigned to the Department of Medicine for six weeks to function as part of a team following patients admitted to the hospital for medical care followed by two weeks in the MICU.  The general surgery rotation includes four weeks in the SICU. Each resident also spends 22 weeks on the anesthesiology service functioning as an anesthesia resident.  The rotation includes four weeks of pediatric anesthesiology and extensive exposure to pre-anesthesia assessment.  There are two additional off-service rotations, one in head and neck surgery and the other in facial cosmetic surgery.

At SJUMC, residents participate in team meetings of the Regional Craniofacial Center and operate with the center’s craniofacial surgeon, gaining experience in the evaluation and management of clefts and other craniofacial anomalies, craniosynostosis, swallowing disorders and velopharyngeal incompetence.  Since SJUMC has no ENT residents and a collaborative relationship with the plastics division, senior oral and maxillofacial surgery residents are utilized to support the plastic surgery, oculoplastics and otolaryngology/head & neck surgery services.  The VA Medical Center in East Orange provides additional experience with head and neck oncologic surgery as well as with dentoalveolar, preprosthetic and reconstructive surgery including implant site preparation and placement.  Residents also rotate at Monmouth Medical Center and an affiliated ambulatory facial cosmetic surgery center and senior residents spend two days each month performing dentoalveolar surgery at Mountainside Hospital’s dental clinic under the supervision of a faculty member.

The large number of surgical procedures performed by graduating residents spans the full spectrum of oral and maxillofacial surgery.   The well-rounded and extensive clinical experience along with a very robust didactic program prepares graduates to enter a practice or fellowships for the process of board certification.  Residents who are interested in acquiring an MD degree, may sit for USMLE Step 1 with conditional acceptance from an affiliated medical school.  With satisfactory performance on Step 1, and upon successful completion of the OMS program, residents are eligible to enter medical school with advanced standing.