Oral Medicine Residency

Program Overview

Program Director: Dr. Eric Stoopler
Oral Medicine is the area of dentistry which focuses on the oral health of medically complex patients, the diagnosis and the non-surgical management of medically-related disorders and conditions affecting the oral and maxillofacial region, including salivary gland disorders, oral mucosal diseases, and orofacial pain syndromes.

Since the establishment of Oral Medicine as a dental specialty in the 1950's, the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine has been in the forefront in training and promoting the study and dissemination of medical-related issues in dentistry. The Oral Medicine Residency Program at Penn began training qualified practitioners in the early 1960's, and approximately 55 residents have completed the program. Furthermore, they have gone on to become program directors at other institutions both in the United States and abroad, examiners on the Board of the American Academy of Oral Medicine, and internationally respected researchers and leaders in the field of Oral Medicine.

The objective of this Penn Dental Medicine post-doctoral residency is to train a thoroughly qualified clinician and educator in the field of Oral Medicine. See program goals and objectives. Toward this end, we have established two tracks:

Certificate Program
This track requires core courses offered by the Department of Oral Medicine and Division of Advanced Dental Education and 24 months of full-time training.

Master of Science in Oral Biology
This program is designed for those whose goals include a career in academia. This track requires core courses offered by the Department of Oral Medicine, Division of Advanced Dental Education and 36 months of full-time training. Additional coursework requirements include 15 credit hours in Oral Biology and basic sciences related to the individual's area of interest. The candidate must initiate and develop a research project which culminates in the writing and successful defense of a thesis.

The Penn Oral Medicine Program prepares the trainee to treat medically complex patients, diagnose and treat oral mucosal and salivary gland diseases, and treat orofacial pain syndromes. Clinical rotations, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, include internal medicine, oral and maxillofacial surgery, neuroradiology, and anesthesia among others. In addition to extensive clinical experience there is a didactic curriculum that runs through the 24 months of the residency. Opportunities for residents to explore particular areas of interest in the field of Oral Medicine are encouraged. Also, opportunities for clinical and didactic instruction in undergraduate Oral Medicine courses and participation in departmental clinical and laboratory research projects prepare residents for an academic career in the field of Oral Medicine.

Postgraduate Program Due Process Policy

Graduate Medical Education (GME) Policies