Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Residency Program

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center—Medical Education Program (UPMC-MEP) offers a minimum 36-month residency certificate program in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. This new program has received Initial Accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, with first residents entering the program July 1, 2008. When the program becomes fully accredited, successful completion of the program will lead to a certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and will qualify the graduate to sit for the specialty board examination in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.

The program offers a mix of didactic courses, electives, microscopic general and oral pathology, clinical oral pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, head and neck pain, hospital rotations, and research. Clinical patients will be seen at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, and at The Department of Dental Medicine Center at Montefiore Hospital. The School of Dental Medicine also has an active surgical pathology (biopsy) service. Abundant research opportunities are available within the School of Dental Medicine, in other graduate schools of the University, and in the medical center. A significant portion of the residency is devoted to clinical rotations at UPMC-Presbyterian University Hospital Department of Pathology. The Medical Center is a major regional tertiary care and transplant center that will expose the resident to a large volume and wide variety of experiences. A unique facet of the program is a 12-week rotation in head and neck anatomic pathology, under the guidance of E. Leon Barnes, MD. Other required rotations include general anatomic pathology, autopsy, dermatopathology, and clinical laboratory medicine. The program is designed to allow some flexibility for the resident to concentrate on a particular area of oral and maxillofacial pathology.

Proposed three-year schedule

Student residency handbook

Masters Degree and PhD Degree

The advanced education program in oral and maxillofacial pathology is a certificate program. Should the resident wish to pursue a graduate degree as well, he/she will need to meet the admission standards of the appropriate graduate college within the University of Pittsburgh, and will be required to pay tuition fees. The School of Dental Medicine offers a Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD), as well as an MS degree. Application to the Graduate School of Public Health and to the University of Pittsburgh Graduate colleges are additional options. Acceptance to a graduate degree program will necessarily extend the time in the residency.

Program Faculty

Faculty members are certified by their specialty boards of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral Medicine, or Anatomic Pathology, and possess a wide range of clinical, teaching, research, and surgical pathology experience.

Applicants

The program has approval to enroll two residents a year. The applicant must be a graduate of an accredited dental school. If an applicant has been graduated from a dental school outside of the U.S. or Canada, the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry may prevent the applicant from entering the program. Foreign graduates must demonstrate the educational equivalent of a U.S. or Canadian DMD/DDS degree. That may consist of six years of didactic training (for example, a five-year BDS and a one-year residency).

Stipends

Residents in the program should qualify for graduate medical education stipends. The 2007-2008 UPMC first year graduate medical training gross annual stipend is $43,603.  

Application information

Application Documents Required. Academic credentials will be evaluated by the Admissions Committee of the Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Advanced Education Program. The completed application must include:

• The School of Dental Medicine Self-Managed Application;
• Three letters of recommendation (a Dean's Letter and two other recommendations). The Dean’s Letter is an official letter from your dental school indicating that you are a graduate of the institution. The letters of recommendation must be in envelopes that are sealed by the individual writing the recommendation, and this person's signature must also appear on the back flap of the envelope;
• Original or certified (notarized) copies of all original language academic records and transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended. Certified copies of the original certificates or diplomas awarded at the completion of studies must also be submitted. Where official, original documents are issued in a language other than English, certified (notarized) English translations must also be submitted. English translations of documents alone are not acceptable;
• National Board Dental Examination (Part I and II) scores;
• TOEFL score, if applicable;
• Current Curriculum Vitae;
• A one-page personal statement stating your reasons and objectives for undertaking graduate study; and
• A non-refundable application fee of $50 (check made payable to the University of Pittsburgh).

Place the application, curriculum vitae, personal statement, academic records and transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the application fee in one envelope. Mail to the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Attention: Ms. Ann Strosnider, G121 Salk Hall Annex, 3501 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261. Incomplete applications will not be processed. All materials submitted for consideration become the property of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and will not be returned to the applicant for any reason.

Application Deadline: The program has a “rolling admissions” policy. Applications made in the spring are at a disadvantage for consideration for the nearest July 1 matriculation. As soon as a completed application is received, the applicant will be notified. The program admissions committee will review the applicant’s credentials. Those applicants whose credentials are deemed adequate will be invited for a personal interview.

Interviews/Selection of Students
With the assistance of the departmental administrator, the invited applicant will arrange for the one-day interview. The applicant is responsible for the cost and arrangement of his/her own travel and lodging. Candidates will be notified of the Admissions Committee decision shortly after the interview.  

For additional information about residency programs at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, please go to the Web site: http://www.dental.pitt.edu/students/residency_programs.php

For further information, contact the program director, Kurt Summersgill, DDS, PhD at kfs8@pitt.edu, 412-648-8635, or at G134 Salk Hall, 3501 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 or Ann Strosnider, administrator for the Department of Diagnostic Sciences at 412-648-8636, abs44@pitt.edu.