How to Get Into: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery ST1

Courses & Conferences to Attend

I attended the annual British Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (BAOMS) conference most summers since I began working in OMFS.

In addition to this the Junior Trainee Group (JTG) of BAOMS runs a separate conference in November each year which I regularly attended. This conference is a particularly welcoming and supportive environment for pre-st3 trainees in OMFS and a great support network.

The European Association of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery (EACMFS) holds a biennial conference which I attended on two occasions.

I also did the AO Management of Facial Trauma Course while I was a medical student – this is one of the courses you must complete during your registrar training but it’s definitely helped with my work as a clinical fellow. Check out the list of mandatory courses for OMFS trainees.

The best conference for any junior trainee interested in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (from either a medical or a dental background) is the BAOMS Junior Trainee Group Conference. It is focussed on trainees in the early years of their training (from undergraduate to pre-St3). There are usually workshops to help applicants apply for their second degree as well as applying for specialty training. It is also a great opportunity to meet trainees at a similar level. The Royal Society of Medicine run a similar one-day event called UMAX every spring which is definitely worthwhile.

If you are unable to attend the JTG conference, there are many local “Second Degree Workshops” run by successful applications with support from local OMFS units to guide applicants through the process of applying for your second degree – be it medicine or dentistry.

Similarly, there are “ST interview preparation” courses organised by local OMFS units which give the opportunity for applicants to have some impartial feedback on their CV and to practice common interview questions.

I would recommend joining the very active and useful JTG Facebook page as well as their other social media. For those not on social media check out the JTG website and contact your JTG rep – there are regional reps and local university reps who are there to help junior trainees on their journey.

Also join BAOMS – it is free for undergraduates and gives you access to a wide ranging support network.

How to Maximise Your Portfolio

I think the two easiest ways to gain points are teaching and QIP.

Teaching - if you are at a teaching hospital, speak with the undergrad admin team and they should be able to give you a list of medical students who you can email or you can even teach foundation year doctors if you are a SHO.

QIP - pick a simple project with a practical way to complete 2 cycles e.g. questionnaire before and after teaching in your area of interest. With the QIPs, this should then give you the opportunity to present at conferences & get publications.

Similarly, case reports might be useful for posters or publications. If the poster is particularly good there might be an opportunity to present orally and this could be a way to get prizes (which worked out for me).

What is also really important is to get the help of a consultant in your area of interest who will be able to review the poster/publication as well as advise on which journals/conferences to submit to.

Making the Most of Your Day Job

Maintain your logbook. It’s a frustrating task but by demonstrating continued exposure to OMFS and other surgical procedures you will be able to maximise the portfolio points at application time.

Audits and other clinical governance activity does not have to be complicated. At the early stages and at interview for dental core training jobs and CT/ST applicants need to demonstrate a clear understanding of the principles of quality improvement. Pick something simple and work through the process and close the loop and ideally present it a local meeting. Once you have done this then you can consider more ambitious time-consuming projects if you wish.

Second degree studies are a great opportunity to be involved in a longer-term teaching project. For example, as a medical student I taught every term on the human disease and clinical skills modules for the dental students. I collected feedback each time and was able to demonstrate continued teaching activity over a long period of time which is great for your portfolio. This can even be used as evidence for a higher lever teaching qualification such as a post graduate diploma in medical education.

Making the Most of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Placements

Any specific advice for while working in their speciality of choice?

Let your registrars and consultants know about your interest in the specialty early on. If you are identified as a potential future maxillofacial surgeon, you should benefit from more opportunities to be involved in projects as well as practical opportunities.

What About Non-Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Placements?

There is a greater portion of the training pathway spent away from OMFS when compared to other surgical specialities so it’s easy to feel isolated, particularly during foundation and core training. I would encourage engagement with the regional representative for the specialty – attend social events and try to link up with other OMFS trainees at the same stage. Additionally take advantage of taster days to maintain engagement with the specialty. You are encouraged to explore other specialities during foundation training and this could be used as an opportunity to link up with the local OMFS department.

Although it may not be obvious at the time, experience in other specialties does make you a more well-rounded clinician and makes you more competent when consulting with these specialties in the future. And then there’s also the MRCS exam – infamously wide ranging so take the chance when rotating through other specialities to sit the exam.

Top 3 Tips for Getting Into Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

Work as a clinical fellow/F3 in OMFS.
It was in this job that I developed most and gained the confidence to perform well at interview and progress to speciality training. There are many available all over the UK, and indeed worldwide and are available for single qualified and dual qualified trainees. It will also mean you can hit the ground running as an ST3 with the basic skills already there.
Do your elective in OMFS.
If you are either a medical or a dental student your elective is a great time to experience the speciality in a less pressurised environment. It’s a small field so no matter what corner of the world you are in you are likely to make connections that will become useful as you progress.
Take advantage of the support networks available
Join BAOMS and their Junior Trainees Group (It’s completely free for undergraduates), go to the conferences and reach out to others on the journey.