One of the biggest questions facing aspiring oral surgeons is whether to apply for 4 Year or 6 Year OMFS programs. While strategies may exist from an application perspective, there are some significant differences between the two. From a financial perspective, 4 Year and 6 Year OMFS residencies could not be more disparate. Before we dive into the finances, let’s review some of the key differences in the classic 4 Year vs. 6 Year OMFS residency match-up.
Medical School, love it or leave it
The main difference between 4 Year and 6 Year OMFS residencies is of course the two years you will spend in medical school. As a dual degree program, 6 Year residencies will award you not only the certificate to practice as an oral & maxillofacial surgeon, but also the medical degree.
Want an MD in 2 years? This is your chance! There are some notable exceptions, however. Case Western OMFS is a 5 Year program where you only spend 1 year in medical school but still get the MD. At the opposite end of the spectrum is UCSF OMFS, a 6 year program that requires you to go through all 4 years of medical school. The vast majority of 6 Year programs only downgrade you to being a student again for 2 years. Usually the years spent in med school are either years #3 and 4 or years #2 and 3.
Fed up with test-taking and education? Then 6 Year OMFS programs may not be the best for you. To become a fully licensed MD, 6 Year program residents must also take the USMLE national boards which are notoriously difficult.
Skill erosion or job protection?
While the medical degree and training may provide a good adjunct to your training, it is by no means necessary to become a competent oral surgeon. That is, 4 Year and 6 Year graduates have the same scope of practice. In fact, many will say that 4 Year graduates have less skill erosion compared to their dual-degree counterparts. Specifically, while the years spent in medical school offer a nice break, 6 Year OMFS residents may lose some momentum in their training compared to 4 Year residents.
That being said, some will say that the MD offers you a safety net. If for some reason you find yourself as an oral surgeon fighting for hospital privileges to perform certain procedures, having the MD might (keyword: might) back you up. In private practice, however, this is never a problem.
Fellowship opportunities
In addition, for graduates interested in applying to fellowship, the selection process for some reason or another favors those from dual-degree programs. Available fellowships following residency include cosmetics, craniofacial, head and neck oncology, and microvascular.
And there you have it. For those genuinely interested in OMFS and deciding between 4 Year and 6 Year residency programs, I highly encourage you to evaluate your personal and professional goals and speak with as many people as possible.
Thinking about oral surgery? Deciding between 4 Year and 6 Year OMFS programs? Have anything to add to this decision? Comment below!
This is Part I of a two-part series. Click here for Part II.
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