[advice needed] Starting an OMFS Student Organization

[maerick4]

Hey everybody,

I'm currently a second year dental student, pursuing an OMFS residency post-graduation. There is currently no OMFS organization at my school and myself and a fellow student are in the works of creating our own organization.

For anybody that is currently on an exec. board or member of a OMFS organization at their own dental school;

• what sort of events does your club hold?
• what kind of speakers do you reach out to?
• what does a typical general body meeting consist of?
• do you reach out to the general population of your class or only to those pursing a residency?
• how do you stand out?
• do you have advice on being a successful organization?

Any other general advice for starting a student organization like this would be a huge help. We know that this will require a lot of work and are willing to devote our time. We want to make sure that our club is successful and our members find it worth their time.

We also would like to make this organization open to students not interested in specializing in oral surgery, and want to appeal to these type of students to. For those of you;

• what kind of events would you be interested in seeing?
• would you still be interested in learning about the surgical aspects of dentistry even if you're not specializing?

Any comments, criticism, and comments would be really appreciated!

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[sgv]

Suturing labs where residents teach dental students how to hand tie or do running sutures etc on chicken/banana/cloth.
Learning how to scrub into an OR.
Resident info session about OMFS in general for people who might be interested
D4 applicants who got in can go over how to prepare for application cycle and interview
Maybe mock interview with attendings
IV insertion lab
Guest speakers from local OMFS or even your own attendings/residents
Literature review if there's enough motivated and interested applicants and maybe have an attending be present if they have free time

Don't limit club to only OMFS applicants. Club is important to inform GP about indication for removal of thirds, scope of OMFS regarding orthognathic surgery so they'll know when to refer, general medicine or emergency protocol lectures, and learn how to suture.

Easiest way is to make a Facebook group and invite classmates via their individual class Facebook pages and ask them to join your Facebook group and let them know about upcoming events. Or send out an email to the class listserv.

You'll need to find a sponsor and elect officers. This takes time.

 

[Vicviper]

I totally agree with the above statement, don't make it an OMFS Specialty club only, you'll get like 10 members. A lot of people doing GP are also interested in OS, and improving their skills, and seeing interesting presentations and lectures. You'll get way more people that way.

Every oral surgeon worth their salts has a bunch of slide presentations about some crazy wacked out cases. Many people forget that you don't go to OMFS to learn how to do 3rd molars, you go to all that training to do facial reconstruction and surgeries like that! The head of our OS department was the go to guy for facial reconstruction in the area, he had this great presentation on a guy that was hit in the face with a hooked crane that went through his face, and then knocked him off a 3 story building... onto his face. Those kind of presentations will get people to show up!

 

[coogs4life]

I highly suggest starting your own OMS study club. Being involved in ROAAOMS we can also help guide you all and even make an information session about AAOMS and the specialty at your school to help increase awareness and help you build a OMS study club/organization. message me directly and we can try to set something up. Also what school are you at right now?


When I was back at Tufts we hosted a journal club where everyone in the organization presented an article every couple weeks. We also hosted an information session regarding the CBSE as well as contacted an OMS at another program to give a lecture. Many of us would also attend the resident lectures and some of the pathology meetings held between the OMS residency programs from Tufts, BU and MGH. It was a good way to learn and increase presence. We would still advertise to the entire student body but of course only the students interested in pursuing OMS would attend.

Raj Thaker DMD