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Goal of the Program:
The goal of the Oral Medicine program is to train students to become competent oral medicine specialists so that they can:
1. Act as primary care providers for patients with mucosal disease.
2. Act as a consultant for the dental and medical community.
3. Function competently, efficiently and effectively in the health care environment.
4. Apply scientific princpiples to learning and patient care.
5. Be engaged in community service and to act as ambassadors for dentistry and the Oral Medicine specialty.
6. Be leaders in clinical care, teaching and research.
Didactic Training:
The Oral Medicine program begins with an intensive didactic program that provides a broad understanding of the pathophysiology of disease and provides a strong theoretical background in the area of the student's research interests. All students take a number of Oral Biology Core Courses offered at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. In addition, students choose from a wide range of courses offered at the Harvard Medical School, the Harvard School of Public Health or the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Each student must demonstrate competency in statistical methods by successful completion of a course in biostatistics offered at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine or the Harvard School of Public Health. The total number of courses which must be completed is determined by the candidate's degree selection.
Clinical Training:
Clinical training in Oral Medicine is aimed at providing exposure to the diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of oral diseases, the assessment and management of systemic diseases with oral manifestations and the dental management of medically complex patients. The majority of clinical training in Oral Medicine takes place in Harvard-affiliated hospitals including the Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Massachusetts General Hospital. Clinical experiences begin in the second year, and continue throughout the program. In addition, block rotations in Physical Diagnosis, Otorhinolaryngology, Dermatology, Hematology/Oncology, Orofacial Pain, and Oral Radiology are provided. Students may elect rotations in other clinically relevant areas. Attendance at a bi-weekly longitudinal seminar series is required. It is presumed that graduates will sit for the certifying examination of the American Board of Oral Medicine before graduation.
Research and Teaching Responsibilities:
Research leading to a Master of Medical Science (MMSc) or Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree is required of all graduate students. Students in the Doctor of Medical Science program are required to successfully write and defend an original thesis based on their independent research. Research may be performed at any of the laboratories in the Longwood Medical area which offers a wide range of opportunities to work with nationally and internationally renowned researchers. Students are mentored by the Principal Investigators in those laboratories.
Students gain teaching experience by taking leadership roles in departmental conferences and by working with graduate students from other programs and predoctoral students .
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