OMFS residencies that aren't 80-100 hours/week?

[dent2394]

I'm actually a predent but looking into OMFS. I hear these residencies can be 80-100 hours per week, which might not be the best for me considering I don't handle stress as well. Should I just resign to the fact that OMFS is not my thing? Or are there programs out there that are not as busy?

Thanks.

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[BYU4you]

This seems like a troll post.
But even the “easiest” program is extremely stressful and very hard work and is still another 4 years minimum. If you can’t handle stress well it will be tough to even do what is needed to match in the first place. Dental school itself is very hard and very stressful, so is dentistry. Shadowing your nearly retired family friend working two days a week with no loans and golfing the other 5 days is not reality. Im not saying don’t go down this path at all because any job worth doing is going to be a lot of stress.

 

[Ivy.ch]

Stressful things that could happen at any OMFS residency, no matter how many hours you work…

- Dental student drops a tooth down the throat, now you gotta possibly resuscitate.
- Patient starts wheezing during a sedation, now you gotta get your big boy drugs out, possibly intubate, and keep them alive until they get to a hospital.
- Random person drops dead from VFib somewhere in the dental building, now it’s your job to save them, no matter what department they’re in.
- Student or patient drops to the floor. Vasovagal? Seizure? Hypoglycemia? MI? You gotta sweep into action.
- A terminally ill leukemia patient wants an experimental chemo drug, but they need to have all terminal dentition pulled to be elegible, but their platelets are 2K. So you’re taking this person to the OR where they have a decent probability of bleeding out and dying.
- Outside Aspen dentist does a full mouth extraction on a hemophiliac, then dumped them to the ER, and the ER has no idea how to handle mouth bleeding, so they call you in at 2am.

Most of us find that stuff “fun” in a weird way. All of those examples have happened to me intern year BTW (except the dental student dropping a tooth down the throat - at least it hasn’t happened yet - always use a throat screen!)

Most residencies aren’t routinely 80-100 hours a week (some are). But I think all residents will have those weeks at least once, and you gotta step up to the plate when it’s time. And all residents get training for emergency situations, and they’re ready for them whenever, even though we seem like we’re chilling most of the time.

 

[dent2394]

Thanks for the answers. Not a troll. Jumping the gun, maybe. Trying to predict the future, which I know is impossible.

I'll see how dental school goes, which I heard can be done in around 50 hours/week. Would like to further my education beyond that, but OMFS might not be the ticket.

Thanks for the detailed answer Ivy.ch.

 

[BYU4you]

The 50 hours a week would be required time not counting any studying, lab work, practice, studying patients, externships, studying for the CBSE. Just like in OMFS the 80-100 hrs you hear of isn’t counting finishing/starting notes, studying for procedures, chart checking etc.

Long story short it’s work. It’s doable and worth it but it’s work.

 

[DMD12345]

Stressful things that could happen at any OMFS residency, no matter how many hours you work…

- Dental student drops a tooth down the throat, now you gotta possibly resuscitate.
- Patient starts wheezing during a sedation, now you gotta get your big boy drugs out, possibly intubate, and keep them alive until they get to a hospital.
- Random person drops dead from VFib somewhere in the dental building, now it’s your job to save them, no matter what department they’re in.
- Student or patient drops to the floor. Vasovagal? Seizure? Hypoglycemia? MI? You gotta sweep into action.
- A terminally ill leukemia patient wants an experimental chemo drug, but they need to have all terminal dentition pulled to be elegible, but their platelets are 2K. So you’re taking this person to the OR where they have a decent probability of bleeding out and dying.
- Outside Aspen dentist does a full mouth extraction on a hemophiliac, then dumped them to the ER, and the ER has no idea how to handle mouth bleeding, so they call you in at 2am.

Most of us find that stuff “fun” in a weird way. All of those examples have happened to me intern year BTW (except the dental student dropping a tooth down the throat - at least it hasn’t happened yet - always use a throat screen!)

Most residencies aren’t routinely 80-100 hours a week (some are). But I think all residents will have those weeks at least once, and you gotta step up to the plate when it’s time. And all residents get training for emergency situations, and they’re ready for them whenever, even though we seem like we’re chilling most of the time.

How do you get trained for those situations, faculty lectures and practice scenarios?

 

[dent2018istry]

Thanks for the answers. Not a troll. Jumping the gun, maybe. Trying to predict the future, which I know is impossible.

I'll see how dental school goes, which I heard can be done in around 50 hours/week. Would like to further my education beyond that, but OMFS might not be the ticket.

Thanks for the detailed answer Ivy.ch.

I knew going into dental school that I wanted to purse omfs. 60 hours with class and labs seems more like what I was doing but on top of that I was doing a lot of extracurriculars to get into omfs including leadership and research so I was probably close to 80 hours overall a week. My 2nd and 3rd year I started studying for the CBSE and I was definitely at 100 hours a week for 5ish months. I think a dental school not interested in OMFS (or another competitive dental specialty) is probably closer to 50 hours

 

[Ivy.ch]

How do you get trained for those situations, faculty lectures and practice scenarios?

Reading, training simulations, and you usually encounter emergencies with someone else in charge who will lead it, so by the time you’re the head honcho when something goes wrong, it’s not your first time.

I have a background in first response, so some is old training instincts.

 

[princeafrica]

I don't handle stress as well.

OS and Dental Anesthesiology are the only speciality with the mosts procedures that can be life threatening if handled wrong or may need quick reaction to prevent death.

 

[BYU4you]

OS and Dental Anesthesiology are the only speciality with the mosts procedures that can be life threatening if handled wrong or may need quick reaction to prevent death.

You could argue every other specialties dipping their toes into sedition without the training of those would be a little more stressful imo

 

[Life of Pablo]

I hear that Shreveport, Louisville, and Parkland are pretty stress free OMFS residencies. You should look into those.

 

[Molar Whisperer]

I hear that Shreveport, Louisville, and Parkland are pretty stress free OMFS residencies. You should look into those.

I'm hoping @bigtimehoosier will respond to this. Maybe I'm not sharp enough to get what stress free OMFS residency means. Does it include after lunch naptime, free spa amenities and a fully stocked bar? If so, I'm missing out.

 

[dent2394]

Thanks for the input. Overall, it sounds like I should pursue a different and less competitive specialty. I'm going to arrange a couple shadowing visits with specialists for next week (maybe endo, pedo, perio, or prostho).

But anyway, I am interested in learning more about the Shreveport, Louisville, and Parkland OMFS residencies. Or maybe that was just a joke.

 

[D1Bound]

Thanks for the input. Overall, it sounds like I should pursue a different and less competitive specialty. I'm going to arrange a couple shadowing visits with specialists for next week (maybe endo, pedo, perio, or prostho).

But anyway, I am interested in learning more about the Shreveport, Louisville, and Parkland OMFS residencies. Or maybe that was just a joke.

It was 100% a joke. Parkland I’m pretty sure is trauma city

 

[D1Bound]

Thanks for the input. Overall, it sounds like I should pursue a different and less competitive specialty. I'm going to arrange a couple shadowing visits with specialists for next week (maybe endo, pedo, perio, or prostho).

But anyway, I am interested in learning more about the Shreveport, Louisville, and Parkland OMFS residencies. Or maybe that was just a joke.

I think OMS residency is doable, there’s just not going to be a ton of idle time. There will always be tasks, always be something to read, always SOMETHING. I’ve felt like that at times in dental school, I’m sure it will be similar but definitely a step up. You’ll be a graduated, licensed doctor. It’s a different expectation. No one spoon feeds you information. You have to look for opportunities and own your education.

 

[ilikeur3rds]

I’m just a dental student so I can’t comment on lifestyle in residency first hand, but I would say shadowing and seeing what you like in dentistry needs to come first. OMS residents work very hard, but if you’re enjoying what you do and want to be there it can ease the pain. At my school the prosth. Residents are consistently at the school doing lab work till 8-9 and some don’t even like what they are doing. For them, a 60 hour work week can feel a hell of a lot worse than an 80 hour week for the OMS residents.

There is always ortho though. I swear those residents are only at the school/ clinic 6-7 hours a day max, but that’s just my observation.

 

[dent2018istry]

I hear that Shreveport, Louisville, and Parkland are pretty stress free OMFS residencies. You should look into those.

I hear Parkland is a total country club. They always get post-call and have 20 patients tops in clinic for 5-6 residents.

 

[Bereno]

Like many things in life, there is a strong correlation between the work put into something and the reward you get from it. OMS is a very rewarding career path. Like it nor not, OMS is a lot of work. If that's the route you decide to go, it is what it is so buckle up and embrace the suck.

 

[Colastick]

I think lots of people are scaring you about OMFS residency.
Residency can be very challenging both physically and emotionally at times, but I also want you to know it is very fulfilling and you will learn so much about medicine, dentistry and just taking care of patients.

It is not just something to go through to be an oral surgeon, but think of it as an unique journey. The experience really helped me grow as a person. If you (or anyone reading) are serious about being an oral surgeon, I highly recommend it.

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Or maybe that was just a joke.

Big Hoss

 

[DocMon16]

I like what Colastick said about OMS residency….heading into my last year and I did an intern year. These last 4 years have been very fulfilling and I’ve learned a lot about my self, both personally and professionally. I’ve also learned that you can push yourself mentally and physically much more than you think you can, you just have to be willing to put the time and work in.

What the others have said isn’t far off, there’s no doubt it can be stressful and a pain in the ass at times but if it were easy, everyone would do it. Eye on the prize!

It’s an extremely rewarding career and our training is second to none.

 

[nade0016]

I think it has been said but I would like to reiterate. Dent2394 is focusing on "hours". That is such a small part of the process. Yes, during residency there will be long hours, stressful days and depressing patient interactions. But if the end goal is to be an OMS, then it is all worth it. As someone who has been out 10 years now I can confidently say, if required, I would go back and do residency all over again. I loved residency, what seems like long hours on paper is actually time spent performing procedures, rounds, reading, learning, patient care, etc. There are times in the OR after a 6-7 hour case that I don't even realize how much time has passed. So my advice for Dent2394, go be a fantastic dental student, learn as much as you can in the time you have. Shadow the OMS department, meet with the PD and Chairman, express interest and wanting to learn more. You don't have to commit to anything for 2-3 more years but do set your self up for success. Good luck and keep us informed how things are going.