OMFS Externships in the North

[Tbone10452]

Hi there,

I'm a 3rd year student in Dentistry up here in Montreal, Canada. I'm very interested in doing an OMFS externship the upcoming summer, down in the states. I'd like to ask you guys a couple of questions :

1- First, what programs would you recommend in the northern states for an externship, relatively close to Canada. I wouldnt mind traveling, but I'm sure there are a lot of good programs close to here.

2- Should I look for programs where I would eventually like to go, and potentially get an interview there, or simply look for the best externship possible.


Thanks in advance.

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[esclavo]

Hi there,

I'm a 3rd year student in Dentistry up here in Montreal, Canada. I'm very interested in doing an OMFS externship the upcoming summer, down in the states. I'd like to ask you guys a couple of questions :

1- First, what programs would you recommend in the northern states for an externship, relatively close to Canada. I wouldnt mind traveling, but I'm sure there are a lot of good programs close to here.

2- Should I look for programs where I would eventually like to go, and potentially get an interview there, or simply look for the best externship possible.


Thanks in advance.

Good programs yes, good externships harder to find than in the south. Try Minnesota (good program and externship) and maybe a Chicago program. New York city probably has a reasonable externship. Truthfully, the south has it going for externships.

I know some would disagree with me but I'd just look for a good externship irrespective of the programs you would like to attend. It seems too complex and hard to find a good program (where you'd like to go) and have it provide a good externship. With match and chance thrown in, it is just so unlikely you'll be able to "bulls-eye" a good externship and then get into that program. But maybe you guys in Canada are a touch more gifted than us clumsy Yankees.

 

[drhobie7]

I was at Montefiore (Bronx, NY) a few weeks ago. It was good. Nice people. I was in the OR 3-4 days a week. They have a lot of Canadian residents.

 

[Bifid Uvula]

U should extern somewhere warm.... It'll defrost ur mind a little and convince you to move some place sunny.

 

[Tbone10452]

U should extern somewhere warm.... It'll defrost ur mind a little and convince you to move some place sunny.

haha... yeah I guess you're right, today it nearly hit 0 celcius, which is 32 farenheit for you guys. And 2 days ago it was 77 farenheit... crazy weather.

Esclavo, you're a funny guy by the way. I read your posts... very sarcastic humor... you sound canadian. Thanx for the advice.

I have family in Cleveland, so I'm thinking of Case Western for the externship, what do you guys think ?

Also, about what you said for choosing the best externship first, I had in mind that if you work hard and show interest in the program during the externship, at least they might invite you for an interview, cause they already got to know you. Therefore they might rank you high in the match. Is that just an illusion ?

Thanx again...

 

[esclavo]

Esclavo, you're a funny guy by the way. I read your posts... very sarcastic humor... you sound canadian. Thanx for the advice.

I have family in Cleveland, so I'm thinking of Case Western for the externship, what do you guys think ?

Also, about what you said for choosing the best externship first, I had in mind that if you work hard and show interest in the program during the externship, at least they might invite you for an interview, cause they already got to know you. Therefore they might rank you high in the match. Is that just an illusion ?

Thanx again...

I'm from closer to the other side of the US, here is a hint... "la cucaracha, la cucaracha, ya no puedes caminar...." Got it now? Do you think you Canadians have a monopoly on sarcastic humor? Get some beans and rice in ya and your humor will begin to approach mine. The logic of externship--> interview--> match is alot more risky/difficult than this "logic" would lead you to believe. I would get a letter of recommendation from where ever you do an externship though. They know more about your potential to do OMFS after 3 days of pounding you than your research mentor knows after spending a decade discovering the deep dark secrets of the "composite-bond".

 

[Jediwendell]

Just go to Parkland for your externship. You may not want to go there, but it would look good on any resume. An externship at Case may only look good to the people at Case, and extern at San Antonio or Baylor may only look good to people at San Antonio or Baylor. If you do an extern at Parkland or LSU shreveport, everyone knows what sort of experience you got while you were there.

 

[Doggie]

Just go to Parkland for your externship. You may not want to go there, but it would look good on any resume. An externship at Case may only look good to the people at Case, and extern at San Antonio or Baylor may only look good to people at San Antonio or Baylor. If you do an extern at Parkland or LSU shreveport, everyone knows what sort of experience you got while you were there.

I agree. My externship at ucsf was definitely a good waste of 2 weeks.

 

[Tbone10452]

I'm from closer to the other side of the US, here is a hint... "la cucaracha, la cucaracha, ya no puedes caminar...." Got it now? Do you think you Canadians have a monopoly on sarcastic humor? Get some beans and rice in ya and your humor will begin to approach mine. The logic of externship--> interview--> match is alot more risky/difficult than this "logic" would lead you to believe. I would get a letter of recommendation from where ever you do an externship though. They know more about your potential to do OMFS after 3 days of pounding you than your research mentor knows after spending a decade discovering the deep dark secrets of the "composite-bond".

Try our weather for 1 week and see how sarcastic it'll make you... Once again, thanx for the advice.

 

[Tbone10452]

Just go to Parkland for your externship. You may not want to go there, but it would look good on any resume. An externship at Case may only look good to the people at Case, and extern at San Antonio or Baylor may only look good to people at San Antonio or Baylor. If you do an extern at Parkland or LSU shreveport, everyone knows what sort of experience you got while you were there.

Excuse my ignorance, but where is Parkland ? In Dallas ? I couldnt find the school website on the net. Thanx again.

 

[Jediwendell]

Excuse my ignorance, but where is Parkland ? In Dallas ? I couldnt find the school website on the net. Thanx again.

It is at UT Southwestern in Dallas. Here, I will save you the trouble.......


http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept28090/files/57154.html

 

[InMyCrossHairs]

It is at UT Southwestern in Dallas. Here, I will save you the trouble.......


http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept28090/files/57154.html

Is Parkland Affiliated with the program in Ft Worth, John Peter Smith Hospital?

 

[toofache32]

Is Parkland Affiliated with the program in Ft Worth, John Peter Smith Hospital?

Yes. "Parkland" is just one of the hospitals in the Univ. of Texas Southwestern residency. Other hospitals include a children's hospital, a VA, a couple of "private" hospitals (Zale-Lipshy, St. Paul) where faculty see people with insurance, and John Peter Smith.

 

[InMyCrossHairs]

Yes. "Parkland" is just one of the hospitals in the Univ. of Texas Southwestern residency. Other hospitals include a children's hospital, a VA, a couple of "private" hospitals (Zale-Lipshy, St. Paul) where faculty see people with insurance, and John Peter Smith.

Thanks for clarifying that, my next question is concerning externships at the JPS Hospital, is this seperate from the "Parkland" or Dallas externship. The reason I ask is at one time I saw a list of externships and these two were listed as seperate.

 

[OMFSdoc]

Do an externship at a program that you are interested in going to. It will both give them a chance to get to know you (work hard), and you a chance to see if that place is as good as you thought it was. During the interview, programs try to figure out if you would be a good fit for their program, but they only get a day to figure it out. If you do a good job during the externship, it gives them a much better idea of who you are and makes them more comfortable with ranking you higher.

P.S. As posted earlier in this thread, get a letter of recommendation from either the chairman of the dept., or the program director where you are externing.

My 2 cents

 

[Yah-E]

First, what programs would you recommend in the northern states for an externship, relatively close to Canada. I wouldnt mind traveling, but I'm sure there are a lot of good programs close to here.

I externed at Minnesota for 3 weeks and Cook County (Chicago) for 3 weeks. I highly recommend both if you're looking to stay in the Northern States. I also heard that Iowa has a good extern program, but I personally have not experienced it.

If you have any questions about Minnesota and/or Cook County externships, PM me.

 

[ZMC DMD]

Do an externship at a program that you are interested in going to. It will both give them a chance to get to know you (work hard), and you a chance to see if that place is as good as you thought it was. During the interview, programs try to figure out if you would be a good fit for their program, but they only get a day to figure it out. If you do a good job during the externship, it gives them a much better idea of who you are and makes them more comfortable with ranking you higher.

P.S. As posted earlier in this thread, get a letter of recommendation from either the chairman of the dept., or the program director where you are externing.

My 2 cents

i have a letter of rec. from the chairman of the dept i externed at but i didn't give it to pass i still have it even though it is on a pass form and sealed with his signature, how can i make the most out of it? (i don't want to bug him about asking for more copies to send it to individual programs, yet i don't want to open it myself and duplicate it, so i'm thinking it can only go to one place, but would that be ok since it's on a pass form- well i know he wrote one on a letterhead and attached it to a pass from from the looks of the envelope, can i send it to his own program? wouldn't that be stupid though?..)

 

[Bifid Uvula]

I externed at Minnesota for 3 weeks and Cook County (Chicago) for 3 weeks. I highly recommend both if you're looking to stay in the Northern States. I also heard that Iowa has a good extern program, but I personally have not experienced it.

If you have any questions about Minnesota and/or Cook County externships, PM me.

I didn't hear good things about Iowas externship. Standing around, watching for 2 weeks.

 

[Yah-E]

I didn't hear good things about Iowas externship. Standing around, watching for 2 weeks.

Really? Well, Iowa is no good then for externships...like I said, I never saw it first hand so....

 

[esclavo]

Really? Well, Iowa is no good then for externships...like I said, I never saw it first hand so....

Good program, very good. Not that great of an externship. I think alot of programs are solid with very mediocre externships.

 

[toofache32]

Good program, very good. Not that great of an externship. I think alot of programs are solid with very mediocre externships.

I agree with this.

 

[toofache32]

Thanks for clarifying that, my next question is concerning externships at the JPS Hospital, is this seperate from the "Parkland" or Dallas externship. The reason I ask is at one time I saw a list of externships and these two were listed as seperate.

I think you can extern at either, but I would pick Parkland if it was me. You'll get to do more stuff, you'll see more stuff, and the faculty aren't as quirky. But you can still spend a few days at JPS, the VA, etc. Actually I would recommend it since Parkland is pretty slanted towards trauma only.

 

[Jediwendell]

I did more stuff at Parkland's exterships. I took out prolly ten sets of full bony thirds, like a blue million other teeth for dentoalveolar. I took some weird cyst off a guys face in clinic by myself. Did more trauma than you can shake a stick at, put on arch bars, everything. Plus, I got to do a laser skin resurfacing and half a set of blephs at the VA. Best externship there is. You will definitely not regret doing an extern there. You might regret it if you go somewhere else. Remember, if you do an externship at a place you think you might want to go to and it stinks, you are hosed. It is really bad form to leave, because word gets out.

 

[OMFSCardsFan]

I did more stuff at Parkland's exterships. I took out prolly ten sets of full bony thirds, like a blue million other teeth for dentoalveolar. I took some weird cyst off a guys face in clinic by myself. Did more trauma than you can shake a stick at, put on arch bars, everything. Plus, I got to do a laser skin resurfacing and half a set of blephs at the VA. Best externship there is. You will definitely not regret doing an extern there. You might regret it if you go somewhere else. Remember, if you do an externship at a place you think you might want to go to and it stinks, you are hosed. It is really bad form to leave, because word gets out.

Let's combine the previous advice:

Do two externships, one at Parkland or LSU-Shreve and one at a program that you're interested in going to. If you can, do a third at another place that you're interested in. Likely, after externing down with either of these southern programs and a northern program or two, you'll start thinking less about location and more about the training that you'd like to receive. Either of those mentioned will give you a great base for forming future comparisons.

 

[toofache32]

I did more stuff at Parkland's exterships. I took out prolly ten sets of full bony thirds, like a blue million other teeth for dentoalveolar. I took some weird cyst off a guys face in clinic by myself. Did more trauma than you can shake a stick at, put on arch bars, everything. Plus, I got to do a laser skin resurfacing and half a set of blephs at the VA. Best externship there is. You will definitely not regret doing an extern there...

That's pretty typical of Parkland externs, but you can do as little or as much as you want to. There's plenty to go around. We hit the ground running in our first year, so the upper-levels are already tired of this stuff and willingly pass it down the chain. And of course it's fun to teach somebody who's never done it before.

It seems like Parkland externs get the biggest kick out of excising goobers off people's faces in clinic. There's just something about cutting on face and sewing it up, I guess. If you can convince the patient they need it, you can cut it. Just don't kill anyone because we won't be impressed.

 

[Doggie]

That's pretty typical of Parkland externs, but you can do as little or as much as you want to. There's plenty to go around. We hit the ground running in our first year, so the upper-levels are already tired of this stuff and willingly pass it down the chain. And of course it's fun to teach somebody who's never done it before.

It seems like Parkland externs get the biggest kick out of excising goobers off people's faces in clinic. There's just something about cutting on face and sewing it up, I guess. If you can convince the patient they need it, you can cut it. Just don't kill anyone because we won't be impressed.

During my UCSF externship, they also let me do a lot of cool things............like standing on the side to observe even simple tooth extractions!!

 

[OMFSCardsFan]

During my UCSF externship, they also let me do a lot of cool things............like standing on the side to observe even simple tooth extractions!!

Sweeeet! Did you at least get to strategically place the gauze afterwards?

That had to suck. I would have been standing there all week calculating how much money I was wasting by being there.

 

[jiggapigga]

There are alot of canadians in the michigan oral surgery programs. I'd suggest that you go down south for the externships for the experience, and if u have time spend a week or so at places you'd like to be.
Henry ford hospital. u'll get OR experience , lots of trauma and other fun stuff.