Dentistry Certificate: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Learn more about the certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

About the Certificate

Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) is one of ten dental specialties approved by the American Dental Association. These dental specialists treat conditions, defects, injuries and aesthetic aspects of the mouth, teeth, jaws and face. Among their specializations are inserting dental implants, extracting wisdom teeth, surgically correcting cleft lips and palates and other maxillofacial skeletal deformities, and diagnosing and managing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.

The OMS certificate program at Kornberg School of Dentistry is designed as a companion to the MD degree program at Temple University's Lewis Katz School of Medicine. This creates a combined MD degree/OMS certificate residency program that:

allows Kornberg School of Dentistry to provide comprehensive oral surgical care at all levels, from simple extraction to care that requires hospitalization, with Kornberg faculty providing didactic and clinical instruction and supervision as a primary rotational site for the residency;
extends Kornberg School of Dentistry's support to its large predoctoral program and other specialty programs, such as advanced education in general dentistry, implantology and periodontology, by expanding the collaboration between various Kornberg predoctoral and graduate-level dental clinical services; and
increases the capacity of Temple University Hospital to manage oral maxillofacial trauma and emergency care.

The goal of the certificate program at Kornberg School of Dentistry is to ensure that the large number of patients who annually need advanced oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures, which are beyond the capabilities of predoctoral dental students, can gain the assistance they need at Temple University. Offering the OMS certificate allows the Kornberg School of Dentistry to achieve its mission of:

promoting health and wellness through the comprehensive education of diverse general and specialty dentists utilizing inter-professional collaboration;
providing compassionate, comprehensive, patient-centered, evidence-based and outcome-driven oral healthcare;
engaging in research and scholarly activities; and
serving the community.

Although no credit hour requirements are set by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), the certificate awarded by the Kornberg School of Dentistry is for completion of the requirements for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery certificate as defined by CODA.

Time Limit for Certificate Completion: 4 years

Campus Location: Health Sciences Center

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: This certificate program is expected to be completed on a full-time basis. NOTE: International students must enroll full-time in the certificate program to be eligible to apply for a student visa based on admission to the certificate program. Please contact the admissions advisor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Medicine and Surgery for more information.

Job Prospects: Graduates of the program are prepared to provide advanced oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures for community members in need of such services.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Participation in the certificate program is limited to enrolled students.

Financing Opportunities: Limited financial support is available.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Summer: September 15 to start on July 1 of the following year

APPLY ONLINE to this professional certificate program through ADEA PASS®.

Also APPLY ONLINE to the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program.

Applicants for the OMS certificate program must utilize the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS), which is a centralized application service sponsored by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) for individuals applying to advanced dental education programs. The ADEA PASS® application must be completed.

All OMS applicants must submit their application materials to PASS by September 15 to allow PASS sufficient time to process their materials and submit them to Temple by our October 1 deadline. Please check with PASS to ensure that your information has been received as they will only forward completed records to Temple University for assessment.

All OMS applicants are also required to apply to the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program through National Matching Services Inc.

Note that every applicant must be a U.S. or Canadian citizen or hold U.S. Permanent Resident status.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from dental school faculty. At least two of the letters must be written by faculty who can evaluate the applicant’s clinical skills.

Degree Required for Admission Consideration: Applicants must hold the DDS or DMD degree from a U.S. or Canadian dental school accredited according to the standards of the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

Standardized Test Scores:
NBDE: Required. All applicants must have passed the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part I and Part II. If the Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE) was taken, evidence must be provided of satisfactory completion of the exam. Applicants are encouraged to upload official scores in the PASS application, but may also mail them to the Kornberg School of Dentistry.

TOEFL iBT: 100 minimum required.

Transcripts and Credential Evaluation: Official transcripts from all colleges, universities and dental schools attended must be submitted. Transcripts should include GPA and class rank. Submit transcripts through the ADEA PASS® application.

Note that PASS does not accept undergraduate college transcripts. Applicants must send official transcripts for their undergraduate study directly to Kornberg School of Dentistry at https://apply.temple.edu/DENTAL_CERT/ as part of the required Temple University application identified below.

Resume: Current resume required. Submit resume through the ADEA PASS® application.

Supplemental Document: When applying to the OMS certificate program, a separate Temple University application and application fee of $50 are required. SUBMIT ONLINE the Temple application and fee.

Acceptance: Applicants will be notified of their admission consideration by National Matching Services Inc.

Certificate Requirements

Number of Credits Required: 5

Required Courses:

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
ORBG 8014		1
ORBG 8015		1
ORBG 8017		1
ORBG 8018		1
ORBG 8019		1
Total Credit Hours		5

Additional Curricula and Assessments
Formal:
OMS residents participate in weekly seminars and lectures, in addition to monthly grand rounds, with topics ranging from surgical anatomy to professionalism and practice management. Although no formative or summative assessments are required, these curricular elements constitute a part of the longitudinal learning process of the OMS residency. The performance of residents on the annual Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery In-Training Examination (OMSITE) measures their clinical knowledge and skills.

OMS residents also engage in simulation training exercises throughout their clinical training. Debriefing and formative assessments are integral parts of these exercises.

Informal:
Throughout their surgical training, OMS residents participate in the daily educational experience of teaching rounds when patients are admitted to the hospital. These teaching rounds utilize the principles of directed and case-based learning. While no formal assessments are required, the learners’ engagement and performance in the learning process are noted by the faculty and discussed at debriefing sessions or during the residents' semi-annual evaluations.

In clinical education and experiential learning, ongoing dialogue occurs between the residents and faculty. Although informal, this is perhaps the most important assessment of the residents’ knowledge base, skills, preparedness and professionalism with respect to direct patient care. Trained and calibrated faculty communicate their assessment with the program director in preparation for the residents’ semi-annual evaluations.