Cornerstones of the VCU-OMFS residency program

The education and training of the VCU-OMFS residency program is built on the basis of a strong didactic curriculum and several structured clinical activities that enhance the resident’s experience and training.

The Didactic Curriculum

• Monday afternoon weekly topic conference
• Wednesday morning biweekly combined orthognathic conference
• Wednesday morning biweekly pathology seminar
• Wednesday afternoon Surgical Grand Rounds
• Thursday weekly afternoon postoperative case review and preoperative
• Planning conference
• Monthly afternoon journal club
• Monthly interdepartmental conference

Clinic Experience

The Operating Room Experience
It is the goal of the program to insure that our residents receive training across the entire spectrum of the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Having a diverse patient population, being a Level-1 trauma center, and having a large faculty with varying clinical interests allows the program to provide training consistent with that goal. In addition, all of our clinical facilities are equipped for full-scale general anesthesia including a clinic-based ambulatory operating room.

Major inpatient surgical procedures in 2007 – oral and maxillofacial surgery service:

• Major trauma surgery: 102
• Pathology surgery: 72
• Preprosthetic, TMJ and reconstructive surgery: 70
• Orthognathic surgery: 106
• Outpatient general anesthesia, sedations: 1028
• Cosmetic surgery: 15
• Outpatient visits: 17,604

Weekly Implant Clinic
One-half day per week is designated for the chief resident and third-year residents to see pre-op implant patients, perform implant placement, sinus lift procedures, and soft and hard tissue preprosthetic operations. A faculty member with advanced implant experience supervises this clinic and provides expertise in implants.

Facial Cosmetic Clinic
Major cosmetic surgery is performed in our clinic on a regular basis. The cases are done under local anesthesia, IV sedation or intubated general anesthesia, depending on the length and complexity of the procedure. The entire spectrum of facial cosmetic surgery, including, facelifts, browlifts, eyelid surgery, otoplasty, Botox injections, cosmetic skin resurfacing, and cosmetic augmentation procedures, are done by chief and third-year residents under the supervision of faculty who are credentialed by the State Board to do such procedures. During this clinic session, pre and postoperative patients are also seen in conjunction with the attending surgeon staffing the clinic.

Orthognathic Surgery Clinic
One-half day per week is designated for orthognatic surgery; patients who are seen for initial evaluation or final workup prior to surgery. In addition, post-operative orthognathic surgery patients are seen on these designated days. All levels of residents are involved with this clinic. A full-time faculty member who is involved in treating these orthognathic surgery patients supervises the residents.

TMJ Clinic
Twice a month, an upper level resident and a faculty member see TMD patients for initial evaluation, re-evaluation and post- operative follow up. The residents gain the skills and learn the techniques to manage these patients medically in addition to their operating room surgical experience.

Trauma Clinic
On a biweekly basis, all patients treated for facial soft tissue and bone trauma are seen by the residents and a faculty member with an interest and expertise in the management of such cases. Assessment of postoperative complications and the need for additional reconstructive or cosmetic procedures is done during these clinic sessions.

Private Practice Rotations
One third year resident is assigned to be involved in the care of private practice patients at both the faculty intramural and off-campus private practices. During this rotation, the resident gains a “real world” perspective on ambulatory and hospitalized minor and major oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures and develops the skills of pre- and post-operative patient care and office management skills on a one-on-one basis with private practitioners

Wednesday General Anesthesia Clinic
One-half day a week at the hospital clinic is devoted to the performance of more difficult anesthetic patients. These patients receive surgery under intubated or LMA anesthesia performed by the residents under the direct supervision of a faculty member. Although sedation and general anesthesia are performed in all of our clinics, these patients represent the opportunity for the residents to perform anesthesia on the more medically or physically compromised patient.