Postgraduate Program in Oral Medicine - Certificate
Degree Offered: Certificate
Program Leadership:
Kamal Al-Eryani, DDS, PhD, Program Director
Admissions Inquiries: Melissa Fung, Residency & Postgraduate Program Manager
Program Description
The UCSF Postgraduate Program in Oral Medicine is a full-time, 36-month residency accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), leading to a certificate in oral medicine, with the option to pursue an MS degree in oral and craniofacial sciences. Residents train across clinics, hospitals, and research environments to become leaders in diagnosing and managing complex oral diseases, advancing the specialty through scholarship, and contributing to interdisciplinary care.
The program prepares dentists to diagnose and treat complex oral problems, manage oral conditions and diseases in medically complex patients, recognize and manage oral manifestations of primary and acquired immunodeficiency, and address oral diseases, salivary gland dysfunction, facial pain, and chemosensory disorders. The main goal is to train residents for careers in academic or hospital settings as oral medicine specialists who treat a diverse patient population, participate in interdisciplinary care, and advance the field through research.
All residents are provided with a stipend based on their PGY (Postgraduate Year) level of training.
Admission Requirements
We accept three postgraduate students into the Oral Medicine program each year.
To be eligible for the program, you must meet the following requirements:
- Hold a DDS, DMD degree or equivalent by the start of the program
- Take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), if your native language is not English and you have not completed at least one year of college or university-level studies in the United States. Scores/results must be within two years of the opening of the application cycle: Minimum TOEFL score accepted is 95 or higher on the internet-based test (iBT).
In addition, you must submit a statement of purpose that describes your interest in both oral medicine and oral and craniofacial sciences through your ADEA PASS application.
Learn more about Oral Medicine Program admissions.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates will be expected to possess the didactic knowledge and clinical skill to diagnose and treat chronic, recurrent, and medically related disorders of the oral and maxillofacial region that constitute the practice of oral medicine. They will be expected to be proficient in the following areas:
- Physical and medical risk assessment in medically complex patients and making recommendations for impact and appropriate modifications of dental treatment
- Diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue lesions
- Performing biopsies of soft tissue intra-oral lesions
- Diagnosis and management of salivary gland dysfunction
- Understanding the pathophysiology and attainment of skills to diagnosis and manage chemosensory disorders
- Diagnosis and management of facial pain conditions
- Diagnosis and management of viral and fungal infections of the oral cavity
- Critical appraisal of research studies and to be competent in design/execution of a clinical study
Additional Information
Program Faculty
- Find a program faculty list on the program website.