Didactic program 

The oral and maxillofacial surgery department has a structured didactic program that is designed to meet the educational needs of the surgeon in training.

1. OMFS seminar and case conference: This conference meets for every Monday evening  from 5:15 PM to 8:00 PM. The seminar provides instruction in basic medical and surgical principles. The lecture schedule is arranged in blocks and covers the full scope or oral and maxillofacial surgery including: trauma, orthognathic surgery, pathology and reconstruction, esthetic surgery, TMD, dentoalveolar surgery, implant surgery, infections and medicine (including physical diagnosis). The function of the case conference is to discuss all preoperative and postoperative cases. A chief resident on a rotating schedule organizes the conference. A chief or senior resident will present the cases with an in-depth discussion of the diagnosis and management of the patient.

2. Anesthesia seminar: This seminar meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month for 60 minutes. The seminar is divided into two compartments. There is a lecture component that covers the fundamental aspects of office based anesthesia: pharmacology, patient assessment, anesthetic technique, anesthetic complications. There is also a case presentation component in which the residents will be given scenarios and asked to discuss the anesthetic management of the patient.

3. Craniofacial surgical / orthognathic seminar: This lecture series is provided in conjunction with the orthodontic department at Indiana University School of Dentistry. It meets for approximately 9 months of the year every Wednesday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 AM. The core lecture component of the seminar will discuss the fundamental principles of management of the patient with a skeletal deformity. Presentations of active and completed cases that will require active work-up by participants will be required.

4. Head and neck anatomy: This is a two week intensive review course for the first year residents that is offered in the summer. This year there will be two new additional anatomy courses. The third year residents will take an intensive 1 week head and neck continuing education dissection course. This course is offered in July and is a good review in preparation for the advanced responsibilities and surgical opportunities of a third year resident.  A cadaver dissection course reviewing surgical anatomy and illustrating surgical techniques will also be provided by the OMFS faculty to all OMFS residents.  

5. Literature review: This seminar meets for 60 minutes the 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month. The 2nd Monday of every month the literautre review will focus on a journal related to the specialty (e.g. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants) and the 4th Monday of every month the literature review will consist of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

6. Pathology seminar: This seminar meets for 60 minutes every Thursday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 AM. The course includes lectures, microscope teaching and CPCs. The course is currently directed by Dr. Charles Tomich.

7. Teaching rounds: residents and faculty hold weekly teaching rounds during which in-patients are reviewed.

8. Implant case conference: Quarterly conferences where complex implant cases are discussed in an interdisciplinary setting.