The Advanced Educational Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans through the School of Dentistry and Medicine is a six-year OMS-MD residency program designed to fulfill the educational requirements of the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association and the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Each year four applicants are selected to begin seventy-two months of training. TheUniversity Medical Centerat New Orleans (UMC) serves as the primary teaching hospital. Other affiliated institutions are Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, Carolinas Healthcare System in Charlotte, Touro Hospital in New Orleans, and Childrens Hospital in New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center in New Orleans, Veterans Affairs in New Orleans, and Baton Rouge Medical Center in Baton Rouge. Biomedical science instruction is incorporated throughout the six-year residency program. Formal didactic courses outside of the medical school curriculum include Applied Head and Neck Surgical Anatomy, Advanced Oral Pathology, TMJ Diseases, and Orthognathic Surgery. Conferences consist of Clinical Pathology, Preoperative Surgery, Journal Club and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Teaching Seminars.
Enrollment in the L.S.U. School of Medicine for Introduction to Clinical Medicine, Science and Practice of Medicine, Clinical Pathology and Dermatology is concurrent with the initial twelve-month clinical oral and maxillofacial surgery rotation. Advanced standing for third year entry into medical school is predicated on passage of the national Medical Boards Step 1 inMay of the applicants first year of training. Following 24 months of medical school, one year of General Surgery credit is gained with rotation in the Emergency Room, General Surgery and Surgical Subspecialties, Neurosurgery, and OMS. The residents return to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department for twenty-four months to complete the program. The program is closely supervised byeight full-time and seventeen part time board certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
In all likelihood, the LSU School of Dentistry (LSUSD) has impacted your personal health care. Three out of every four dentists and dental hygienists practicing in Louisiana today are graduates of the school.
From a national perspective, LSUSD is unique among the more than 65 dental schools in the United States because it offers degrees in dentistry, dental hygiene and dental laboratory technology. By training students in all aspects of dentistry, LSUSD offers a level of training that has resulted in the school's reputation for outstanding clinical education. From 1972 to 2019, the LSU School of Dentistry has graduated over 6,000 dental health professionals by conferring degrees as follows:
Doctor of Dental Surgery: The incoming freshman class is comprised of approximately 65 students. The grade-point average of the class is around 3.5 and the majority of students come from Louisiana. Dental Hygienist: Students receive a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. Each year 38 students are accepted, 32 for the program in New Orleans and six for the program in Lafayette. Dental Laboratory Technology: This two-year program offers an Associate of Science and accepts 12 students.
LSUSD is committed to educating dentists and dental hygienists throughout their careers. The school enjoys a national reputation for its continuing education program, which attracts dentists from throughout the United States. Courses are offered at locations throughout Louisiana, including Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Lake Charles.
Providing service to our community through patient care and outreach programs is also a vital part of our mission. In fiscal year 2015, we had nearly 10,000 active patients with over 90,000 patient visits. We care for the poor, the elderly and the young. We also provide valuable outreach programs to educate children and adults about the importance of proper oral health.