Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program of the Montefiore Einstein Department of Dentistry is a specialized training program for dental graduates focused on the surgical treatment of conditions affecting the mouth, jaws, face and neck. This profession combines dental and medical training and is an exciting, expanding field that offers challenges in repairing and improving the function and aesthetics of patients in need. Our program combines the disciplines of dentistry, medicine, surgery, radiology and anesthesiology. 

Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) generally treats individuals who suffer accidental injuries, infections, cysts and tumors, developmental deformities and dysfunctional and degenerative disorders. It addresses the relief of pain and the reconstruction and restoration of essential functions involving breathing, chewing, swallowing and speech. This rewarding career involves work that enhances a patient’s self-image and quality of life by improving their ability to eat, speak and feel confident in their appearance.

Montefiore Einstein’s selection process for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program is competitive with an intense and demanding training schedule. Still, the rewards are great, as is the gratification of providing effective care to our patients.

The combination of five teaching hospitals with private and municipal clients, the availability of nine full-time oral surgeons and numerous voluntary attendings enriches the learning experience. Our trainees go on to become board certified in their specialty and succeed in private practice, clinical research and academic pursuits.

Residents in this highly intensive program gain experience in all facets of oral surgery, including orthognathic surgery, reconstructive surgery, trauma, pathology, joint surgery, pre-prosthetic surgery, dental alveolar surgery and implantology.

In addition to rotations to other services, residents are required to participate in numerous conferences, including special monthly conferences with the Craniofacial Center; monthly conferences on maxillofacial trauma and dental implants; weekly orthognathic conferences, oral pathology sessions and pre- and postoperative case presentations.

Additionally, four visiting professors supplement the didactic portion of the program each year. Residents also have the opportunity to attend surgical mission trips outside the U.S. during their third and fourth years.

• Year One: Five months in OMFS, three months in anesthesia, two months in medicine, two months in general surgery
• Year Two: Six months in OMFS, three months in anesthesia, two months in general surgery, one month in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU)
• Year Three: 11 months in OMFS, one month in oculoplastic surgery
• Year Four: 12 months in OMFS

Our research team is investigating the benefits of decreasing the total force generated when individuals bite. This can help treat temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and facial pain, as well as prevent wear on teeth and prosthetic crowns. Our researchers inject onabotulinumtoxin A (BOTOX®) into the facial muscles to decrease bite force, pain and wear on prosthetic crowns.

Residents practice and learn in diverse environments with equally diverse patient populations. The following is a list of Montefiore Einstein facilities which integrate oral and maxillofacial surgery:

• Montefiore Hospital, Moses Campus
• Jack D. Weiler Hospital, Einstein Campus
• Montefiore Hospital, Wakefield Campus
• Montefiore Hospital, Hutchinson Campus
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Hackensack University Medical Center
• St. Luke’s University Hospital, Bethlehem Campus

Oral and maxillofacial surgery residents are on call approximately every third night and every third weekend, backing up the general practice residents who take the first call.

Montefiore Einstein offers a one-year OMFS internship PGY-2 position. The internship is ideal for candidates interested in more exposure to OMFS or those pursuing an OMFS residency. Interns are treated as first-year OMFS residents, and responsibilities include clinic coverage, on-call service and participation in surgical cases. Interns attend all didactic conferences.

Applicants must complete a PGY-1 general practice residency (GPR) or an advanced education in general dentistry (AEGD) before starting the program. The OMFS internships are fully funded positions with a PGY-2 level salary. Applications are rolling until all positions are filled and are not made through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Interested applicants should email a curriculum vitae (CV) to our OMFS Residency Director, Dr. Patrick Nolan (pnolan@montefiore.org), and our OMFS Coordinator, Ms. Lori O’Reilly (loreilly@montefiore.org).

A one-week externship is offered year-round for third- and fourth-year dental students. Externs will spend the week observing and participating in the clinic and the operating room (OR), attending all lectures and conferences and rotating through our multiple clinics and hospitals. Interested dental students should contact our OMFS Coordinator, Ms. Lori O’Reilly (loreilly@montefiore.org).

• Jairo Bastidas, DMD, FACS – Chief, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
• Patrick Nolan, DDS, FACS – Program Director, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
• Mauricio Wiltz, DDS
• Jason Baker, DDS
• Allen Glied, DDS, FACS
• Luke Han, DMD
• Trent Ichiuji, DDS