Research training for oral and maxillofacial surgery

The specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) is unique among UK medical and dental specialties in having clinical and academic training pathways whose entry criteria, curricula and exit examinations are quite different. The Academic Advisory Committee for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (AACOMS) pathway offers a formal academic training but with a limited clinical curriculum, while training within the National Health Service (NHS) offers little or no access to research but a more comprehensive clinical curriculum. As a result, there are few doubly qualified consultants in senior university positions, and limited opportunities for dental and medical undergraduates to be exposed to the full scope of the specialty. A further consequence is that research in certain disciplines, such as head and neck oncology and facial trauma, is absent from the majority of universities. Until this situation is corrected, maxillofacial trainees who wish to undergo a comprehensive clinical and research training must find time and funding to support their research training outwith their clinical education. The purpose of this paper is to identify key steps in deciding when, where and how a maxillofacial trainee can gain accomplished research experience in the context of current UK maxillofacial training.