Advanced Education Program in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

Program Director:	Henry W. Ferguson, DMD Associate Professor
Faculty:
Dr. Lee Getter Dr. Ann Holzhauer* Dr. Solon Kao * Part-time	Dr. John Sowell* Dr. Mark Stevens Dr. Antwan Treadway*
Department phone:	(706) 721-2411
Department fax:	(706) 721-6673
Program length:	48 months
No. of residents accepted:	1/yr
PASS participant:	Yes
PASS deadline:	September 17
Program deadline:	October 1
MATCH participant:	Yes
DMD/DDS:	Applicants graduated from accredited US and Canadian or other equivalent educational background and standing are eligible for admission.
Accreditation status:	“Approval” status from CODA of ADA
Beginning date:	July 1 each year
National Boards:	US dental graduates must have successfully passed both Parts I and II of the National Board dental examination by the program start date.  The National Boards (Part I and II) are encouraged but not required of international dental graduates.
State Licensure:	US dental graduates must be eligible for licensure by the program start date.  This does not apply to international applicants.

The Certificate Program
The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Advanced Education Program at the Medical College of Georgia is a four-year program fulfilling the requirements for advanced training in oral and maxillofacial surgery as outlined by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.  The residency program consists of didactic education in basic and clinical sciences, clinical rotations, and research.

The first year of training includes clinical rotations in oral and maxillofacial surgery, medicine, and anesthesiology.  The second year includes clinical rotations in neurosurgery, general surgery, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.  The third year resident rotations are on the shock trauma service and in oral and maxillofacial surgery.  Also included in the third year are elective rotations which are arranged according to specific interests of the resident.  The fourth year of training, or chief resident year, is spent entirely in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Admission to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program is competitive, with initial screening of candidates based upon previous academic performance, letters of recommendation and professional experience.  Applicants with professional experience following graduation from dental school, such as a general practice residency, are preferred.  The list of candidates submitted by the program to the MATCH program is based upon the factors described above, together with the results of a personal interview. 

Tuition, Stipends, Equipment, and Benefits

Tuition / Program Fee :  There is no tuition associated with the Certificate Program in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The annual program fee for international candidates with degrees from other dental schools is $18,500.  If the resident is enrolled in the Master of Science in Oral Biology degree program, he must pay tuition for courses taken through the School of Graduate Studies. References should be made to the current Medical College of Georgia Catalog for specific information regarding Graduate School tuition and fees.

Stipends:  Residents in oral and maxillofacial surgery receive a stipend during each of the four years of training subject to availability of funds.  The amount of the stipend has recently ranged from approximately $42,737 to $47,067 per year. Augusta, Georgia is a beautiful city with a low cost of living. This makes it ideal for residency training from a financial standpoint.

Equipment:  All supplies and equipment associated with the clinical program are provided by the institution.

Benefits:  The School of Dentistry provides malpractice insurance coverage for residents while providing patient care at the Medical College of Georgia.  This insurance does not cover any outside dental practice. Additional benefits for oral surgery housestaff include health care insurance, free life insurance of $25,000, meal tickets for use on call, and three weeks annual vacation.
 Residents are encouraged to attend courses, conferences, professional meetings as time permits, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery will fund these activities on an individual basis as permitted by its budget.

The Facilities
The Medical College of Georgia Hospital was established in 1956 as the primary teaching hospital for the School of Medicine.  It is the Level 1 Trauma Center for the state of Georgia’s second largest city.   The School of Dentistry is located next door to the main hospital building and contains an eight operatory outpatient oral surgery facility, equipped for the full scope of clinical practice, including general anesthesia.

The training program is also affiliated with the Augusta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, which is located on the same urban campus as the Medical College of Georgia Hospital and School of Dentistry.

The Masters Degree Program
The School of Graduate Studies offers a Master of Science in Oral Biology degree which may be taken in conjunction with the certificate curriculum.  This joint program gives the student more extensive experience in research and basic science education and requires an in-depth original research project leading to a defended thesis.  If the applicant desires to concurrently pursue a Master of Science in Oral Biology degree with the specialty program, the program length could be approximately 6-12 months longer.  Tuition is charged on a per hour basis for the graduate courses taken.  The applicant must be accepted by the School of Graduate Studies and the Department of Oral Biology.  Application to the graduate program is made after acceptance to the certificate program. 

A Ph.D. in Oral Biology may also be pursued concurrently with specialty training.

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The Medical College of Georgia is an affirmative action/equal opportunity educational institution that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam War Era veteran.