BCD Graduate School General Information 

BCD Graduate School Application 

Baylor College of Dentistry
Texas A&M University System Health Science Center
Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology

The college offers a combined graduate (M.S. and Ph.D.) training in Biomedical Sciences and postgraduate (certificate) training in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.  The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and has been granted the accreditation status of "approval without reporting requirements."   Eligibility for admission includes US and Canadian graduates from institutions accredited by their respective Commissions on Dental Accreditation or foreign graduates who are deemed to possesses an equivalent educational background as determined by the institution and program. Students applying to the combined MS or PhD program must submit GRE scores with their applications.  GRE is not required for the oral pathology training only.

The goals of the educational program are to provide the student and produce a graduate:

• With the skills and knowledge for a productive, competent and compassionate practice of oral and maxillofacial pathology
• With the foundational knowledge necessary for scientific inquiry, critical thinking and problem solving
• With an understanding of the scientific method and the technological advances which are available for scientific inquiry
• Who has the confidence, independence, and motivation for life-long learning and the skills to communicate that knowledge

The educational objectives of the advanced education program in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology are objective and measurable.  The level of skill with which a student masters these objectives defines whether the student is competent or proficient.  No student will be awarded a certificate of completion of the program until they have been found by the faculty to be competent in all areas of the specialty. While proficiency is traditionally considered to be the level of skill acquired through advanced training, it is the opinion of our faculty that while our graduates may appear proficient in comparison to dental graduates, true proficience comes only with considerable experience and can only be attained in practice where experience increases diagnostic ability and productivity.

The objectives of the program are to achieve its goals by providing its students with the competence, and then proficiency to:

• Examine and interpret gross tissue specimens and prepare instructions for tissue embedding and processing.
• Interpret pathologic cellular change microscopically; group diseases of similar histologic patterns in order to arrive at a differential diagnosis and ultimately a final diagnosis.
• Recognize the limitations of routine light microscopy and recognize the indications for additional studies, such as special stains, ultrastructural studies, immunohistochemical studies, DNA or RNA hybridization studies, etc.
• Provide a written final pathology report with final diagnosis and appropriate comments and be able to communicate effectively with the contributing  clinician.
• Take and interpret a medical and dental history.
• Interpret pathologic changes clinically and radiographically, group diseases of similar clinical/radiographic pattern in order to arrive at a differential diagnosis and ultimately a final diagnosis.
• Recognize the need for additional studies, such as biopsy, imaging studies or laboratory tests and be able to perform or order appropriate tests and interpret their results.
• Treat patients with oral mucosal disease.
• Read and interpret critically the oral and maxillofacial pathology literature.
• Understand and apply the scientific method.
• Demonstrate basic teaching skills.

Because the specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology requires scientific inquiry and scholarly activity, the faculty feels that students are best prepared to meet the academic demands of the profession by enrolling in the degree program in Biomedical Sciences which entails the design, implementation and publication of a formal research proposal (thesis for the M.S. degree or dissertation for the Ph.D. degree).  Research projects are chosen, designed and carried out under the guidance of a faculty mentor. M.S. candidates are not required to obtain funding for their proposal. Graduate theses are funded, in part or full, by the institution after submission of a formal research proposal and following appropriate institutional review. The department is fortunate to have a research endowment which can supplement student research. Students who choose the certificate program only will be required to engage in an investigative project under faculty guidance.

Whether graduate or postgraduate training is desired, each student will have a specifically designed curriculum to meet their needs. Enclosed are a listing, description and length of required and elective didactic courses available at the institution.  The didactic courses are intended to provide the student with sufficient foundational knowledge that when appropriately applied will allow the student to achieve the goals and objectives of the program.

Additional rotations are required. Each student will spend a minimum of six months in the Pathology Department, Baylor University Medical Center.  Three to five months are spent in anatomic pathology, including autopsy service and at least one month in clinical pathology.  This rotation will provide the student with a hands-on knowledge of the workings of a modern, sophisticated hospital based pathology service in a major metropolitan city. The student will gain valuable experience in surgical anatomic pathology, dermatopathology, cytology and special techniques for diagnosis. Autopsy service will be mandatory. Elective rotations will be available in other hospital departments.

Students will also be assigned in the Stomatology Center two mornings a week for 30 months.  The Stomatology  Center is a state of the art center for the diagnosis and management of orofacial disorders.  Students will be assigned their own patients and under faculty supervision will gain invaluable experience in the evaluation, diagnosis and management, including pharmaco-therapeutics, of  oral mucosal disorders.

Students will be assigned for 44 hours in the Oral and Maxillofacial Imaging Center where they will gain experience with the indications and interpretation of advanced imaging systems.

During their training, students will be under the supervision of graduate faculty, most with board certification in their various disciplines.  The duties of students are supplied on the semester schedule enclosed.  It is the departmental philosophy that learning is an active, and often independent endeavor and the responsibility for learning and advancement lies jointly with the student and graduate faculty.

The College maintains a strict and up-to-date policy on infection control to protect students, staff, faculty and patients.  The written policy is available on request.

ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL PATHOLOGY

Professor, John M. Wright
Associate Professor and Director, Harvey P. Kessler
Assistant Professor, Yi-Shing Lisa Cheng
Assistant Professor (part-time), Aparna Naidu

Graduate Program

Postgraduate Program (Certificate)

• 30 semester hours minimum
• 36 months minimum
• Starting date: July

M.S. with Thesis, in conjunction with Dept. of Biomedical Sciences

• 30 semester hours minimum
• 36 months minimum
• Starting date: July

Ph.D. with Dissertation, in  conjunction with Dept. of Biomedical Sciences

• 96 semester hours minimum
• 60 months minimum
• Starting date: July

Program Goals

To provide the student and produce a graduate:

• With the skills and knowledge for a productive, competent and compassionate practice of oral and maxillofacial pathology
• With the foundational knowledge necessary for scientific inquiry, critical thinking and problem solving
• With an understanding of the scientific method and the technological advances which are available for scientific inquiry
• Who has the confidence, independence, and motivation for life-long learning and the skills to communicate that knowledge

Curriculum

First Year Summer Term

Course Number

Course Name

Clock Hours

Semester Hours

OP 5V00
PER 5V10
OP 5V05

35
28
140

0-2
0-1
0-1

Total

203

0-4

First Year Fall Term

OP 5V00
BMS 5260/5261
PER 5V10
BMS 5190
OP 5V05
OP 5113
BMS 5251

85
34
68
(17)
340
34
17

0-2|
2
0-1|
(1)
0-2
1
1

Total

578 (595*)

4-7 (5-10)

First Year Spring Term

OP 5V00
PER 5V10
BMS 5262
BMS 5190
OP 5V05
OP 5V21
OP 5V22
OP 5303

85
68
22
(17)
250
34
17
33

0-2
0-1
2
(1)
0-2
2
1
0

Total

509 (526*)

5-10 (6-11)

Second Year Summer Term

OP 5V01
 

Anatomic Pathology and Autopsy
@ Baylor University Medical Center

280
 

1-5
 

Total

280

1-5

Second Year Fall Term

OP 5V01

OP 5303

Anatomic Pathology and Autopsy Clinical Pathology
@ Baylor University Medical Center
General Pathology

760

33

3-9

0

Total

793

3-9

Second Year Spring Term

OP 5V00
PER 5V00
OP 5V05
BMS 5126
BMS 5V98
BMS 5V40/5V4 2

85
68
170
(17)
(68)
34

0-3
0-1
0-2
(0.5)
(1)
2

Total

357 (442*)

2.5-7.5 (3.5-9.5*)

Third Year Summer Term

OP 5V00
PER 5V12
BMS 5V98
OP 5V05
HPE 5225

35
28
(28)
70
14

0-2
0-1
(1)
0-1
1

Total

147 (175*)

0-5 (3-6*)

Third Year Fall Term

OP 5V00
PER 5V12

BMS 5V98
OP 5V05

85
68
68
(100)
170

0-2
0-1
0
(2)
0-4

Total

391 (491*)

0-7 (4-9*)

Third Year Spring Term

OP 5V00
PER 5V12
BMS 5V98
OP 5V05

85
68
(100)
170

0-2
0-1
(2)
0-4

Total

323 (423*)

0-7 (4-9*)

* M.S. Degree Candidates

Core Course Descriptions

5V00 ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL PATHOLOGY SEMINAR/
Seminar format on surgical anatomic pathology. The student will interact daily with faculty utilizing multiheaded teaching microscope to discuss all pathology cases accessioned daily.  These will be supplemented with more diagnostically challenging cases.  All aspects of the diseases and conditions will be discussed as well as current and historical literature.
Wright       1-2 sem hrs.

5V01 ANATOMIC AND CLINICAL PATHOLOGY, AUTOPSY SERVICE/
Baylor University Medical Center rotation in Department of Pathology.  Anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, autopsy service, cytology, selected electives. 
5-14 sem hrs.

5V05 ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL PATHOLOGY SERVICE/ Indepedent study in surgical anatomic oral and maxillofacial pathology. Gross tissue preparation, microscopic analysis of routine surgical head and neck biopsies, special study sets and microscopic description.
2 sem hrs.

5113 CURRENT ISSUES IN ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL PATHOLOGY/
Seminar discussion of current and past literature in oral and maxillofacial pathology.
Wright, Cheng        1 sem hr.

5V10 CLINICAL STOMATOLOGY I/
Emphasis is placed on the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with oral mucocutaneous diseases.  Proper evaluation of medical histories, drug interactions, and laboratory studies is stressed through close interaction with the medical community. Students register for four (4) quarters for a total of four (4) quarter hours.
Rees, Plemons        1-0 sem hr/sem

5V11 CLINICAL STOMATOLOGY II/
Emphasis is placed on the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with oral mucocutaneous diseases.  Proper evaluation of medical histories, drug interactions, and laboratory studies is stressed through close interaction with the medical community. Students register for four(4) quarters for a total of four (4) quarter hours.
Rees, Plemons        1-0 sem hr./sem

5V12 ADVANCED CLINICAL STOMA-TOLOGY/
Emphasis is placed on the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with oral mucocutaneous diseases.  Proper evaluation of medical histories, drug interactions, and laboratory studies is stressed through close interaction with the medical community. Students provide guidance in management of oral mucocutaneous diseases to selected pre-doctoral students and first-year graduate students.  Students register for four (4) quarters for a total of four (4) quarter hours.
Rees, Plemons        1-0 sem hr/sem

5260 RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION I/Introduction of basic scientific concepts; development of research questions and hypotheses; formulation of research proposals, and; overview of research methods used in dentistry.
Buschang       2 sem hrs.

5261 RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION II/
Overview of the research process, introduction to research methodology and designs; sampling strategies; hypothesis testing; critical evaluation of the scientific literature, and; interchange of scientific information.
Buschang       2 sem hrs.

5262 RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION III/
Introduction to concepts and methods of descriptive and inferential statistics with applications in dentistry emphasized.  Topics include descriptive statistics, elementary probability, comparison of means and proportions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, statistical power, simple linear regression, and correlation.  Parametric and non-parametric methods are discussed.  More advanced methods (multiple regression, analysis of variance, logistic regression) are briefly described but not covered in detail.  Applications and examples in dentistry are stressed throughout. Computer laboratory with emphasis on using statistical software is to be taken concurrently.
Nunn       2 sem hrs.

5V21 ADVANCED ORAL PATHOLOGY/
Diseases of the head and neck; developmental malformations, oral signs of systemic diseases, salivary gland disorders; neoplasms of odontogenic and nonodontogenic origin; four quarter hours credit plus one additional hour for optional laboratory.
Wright/Kessler       2-3 sem hrs.

5190 SEMINAR: CURRENT ISSUES IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE/
Guest lectures and workshops - lectures and discussion will include topics of current interest to program faculty and students, and also of general interest in the biomedical sciences.
1 sem hr.

5V42 CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF ORAL & CRANIOFACIAL TISSUES/
Advanced clinical application of cellular & molecular biology approaches divided into hard and soft tissues.
2 sem hrs.

5251 IMMUNOLOGY I/
Update on the principles of immunology with an emphasis on oral aspects and related diseases.
1 sem hrs.

5V98 THESIS/Research and preparation of Master's thesis.
6 sem hrs.