Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
This program provides an opportunity to acquire specific knowledge and develop skills necessary to perform accepted standards of an oral and maxillofacial pathology practice. It is designed for those planning to teach or practice oral and maxillofacial pathology.
The application cycle is now closed.
On this page:
Domestic and internationally-trained dentists are eligible to apply to this program.
The University sets general admissions requirements for graduate study. These include letters of recommendation; a minimum undergraduate GPA; and demonstration of English Language proficiency for international applicants. Please refer to the General Admissions Requirements page for full details.
Program-specific requirements are described on this page.
About the Program
Successful completion of this program leads to certification in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and eligibility to take the examination given by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.
Emphasis is placed on microscopic and clinical diagnoses as well as the proper management of oral and maxillofacial lesions.
Facilities available for the program include the School of Dental Medicine clinics and laboratories, and vast research facilities in association with the Oral Biology Department, university-affiliated hospitals, hospital clinics and laboratories.
- Previous academic performance
- Letters of Recommendation
- Personal statement: The personal statement should demonstrate the applicant’s ability to discuss their desire to participate in our program, and show a depth of understanding, as well as passion, for the field of oral and maxillofacial pathology.
The research component of the Oral Pathology/M.S. Program in Oral Sciences is administered through the office of Dr. Ernesto DeNardin (716-829-3998). This track requires a minimum of 36 months to complete, and involves research in a variety of areas at the Masters Degree level. At the present time there is no funding available for students enrolled in this program. It runs concurrently with the Advanced Education Program in Oral Pathology.
Applicants wishing to pursue both the Oral Pathology Certificate and the Ph.D. or M.S. research programs must apply separately for each program.
Students on this track are usually supported by a training grant funded by the National Institute for Dental Craniofacial Research.
Applicants wishing to pursue both the Oral Pathology Certificate and the Ph.D. or M.S. research programs must apply separately for each program.
Please note that NIDCR support is available only to U.S. citizens, or to those persons with Permanent Resident status. However, support for non-citizens ineligible for NIDCR fellowships usually is available from teaching assistantships, or from individual faculty mentors with research funds.
The program in oral and maxillofacial pathology is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of accredited without reporting requirements. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s web address is www.ada.org/en/coda.
This is a three-year (36-month) program.
Emeritus Professor
Mirdza E. Neiders, D.D.S., M.S.
Professors
Phone: (716) 829-3553
Email: aguirr@buffalo.edu
Clinical Professor
Associate Professors
Year 1
Laboratory and Clinical Assignments
Surgical Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (2,000 hours of instruction)
The final goal of this discipline is to train individuals to competently diagnose at the microscopic levels pathological processes affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions. More precisely, the trainees should be able to:
- Competently gross oral biopsy specimens.
- Comfortably diagnose at the microscopic level more than 95% of the cases that are seen as routine submissions in an oral pathology biopsy service.
- Establish a reasonable differential diagnosis of rare oral lesions seen in the oral and maxillofacial regions, and then select, request and interpret appropriate special histochemical, immunocytochemical, immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization studies.
- Draft competent pathology reports of cases reviewed in an oral and maxillofacial pathology biopsy service.
- Understand and apply the administrative and licensing procedures associated with the establishment and directorship of an oral biopsy service.
- Know and apply the legal aspects of the laboratory operation such as malpractice insurance, and laws that protect individual privacy.
- Understand and practice the regulatory procedures which provide for the safety of laboratory personnel.
- Work in an academic environment oriented to teach surgical oral pathology.
Patient Evaluation and Management (360 hours of instruction)
The main goal of this subject area is to provide the trainee with the proper tools and experience to evaluate the physical aspects of oral and systemic diseases. More precisely, the trainees should be able to:
- Assess the systemic status of out-patient and in-patient populations.
- Evaluate the systemic and local medication taken by patients, its indications, contraindications and side-effects.
- Clinically diagnose diseases affecting oral soft and hard tissues and/or establish a clinical differential diagnosis leading to the appropriate treatment of the condition in question.
- Manage unusual cases and participate in multidisciplinary treatment-planning.
- Work in an academic environment oriented to teach clinical oral pathology.
Required Courses
- CLD 555 Head and Neck Anatomy (1 credit) (*Offered every other year during Spring semester. It can be taken in either the 1st or 3rdyear, depending on the student’s academic load.)
- CLD 950 Interdisciplinary Patient Care Seminar (1 credit) (Fall and Spring)
- ODS 530 Histological Interpretation of Oral Lesions (2 credits) Introduction to microscopic pathology of lesions of the oral and paraoral region (Fall and Spring)
- ODS 671 Independent Study. Head and Neck Pathology seminar at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Department of Pathology (1 credit) (Fall and Spring)
- ODS 901 Advanced Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (2 credits) Clinical review of unusual and rare oral and maxillofacial lesions (Spring)
- ODS 903 Oral Pathology Literature Review (1 credit) Review of current advances in head and neck pathology literature (Spring)
- ODS 910 Biopsy Service (5 credits) (Fall and Spring)
- ODS 911 Oral Pathology Journal Club (1 credit) Formal presentation of selected papers (Fall and Spring)
- ODS 921 Oral Medicine Clinic (3 credits) (Fall and Spring)
- ODS 936 Oral Mucosal Diseases & ODS 900 Diagnosis of Mineralized Tissues (2 credits) Two hour lecture per week. Clinico-pathological correlation of oral lesions with emphasis in the clinical presentation (Fall)
- OS 504 & ORB 510 Saliva and the Oral Microbiome (4 credits) Four hour week lectures. Review of oral immunology, microbiology and salivary fluids (Spring)
- OS 512 Research Design in the Oral Sciences (2 credits) Two hour lecture per week. Understanding of research literature and development of the ability to design and conduct research projects (Fall)
- OS 518 Statistical Methods in the Oral Sciences (3 credits) Three hours lecture per week. The use of statistical methods to analyze scientific data (Spring)
- PTH 600 General Pathology (5 credits) Includes fundamentals of disease processes such as inflammation, tissue injury and repair, the immune response and neoplasia. In addition, the mechanisms of hemodynamic and metabolic derangement will be studied and illustrated by means of clinical material and case studies (Fall)
Elective Courses
- OS 510 Research Seminar in the Oral Sciences (1 credit) Topical survey of the Oral Sciences where students have an opportunity to present their research findings to other students and faculty members (Fall and Spring)
Year 2
Laboratory and Clinical Assignments
Anatomical Pathology (960 hours of instruction)
The final goal of this discipline is to prepare the trainees to interact with their colleagues in the medical field. More specifically, the trainee should be able to:
- Competently assist in autopsy procedures.
- Execute gross and microscopic examination of surgical and necropsy specimens.
- Diagnose at the light microscopy level local and systemic diseases.
- Use and interpret histochemical and immunocytochemical techniques commonly used for the diagnoses of diagnostically challenging entities.
- Use polarized light for the identification of foreign bodies in human tissues.
Required Courses
- CLD 950 Indisciplinary Patient Care Seminar (1 credit) (Fall or Spring)
- ODS 901 Advanced Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (2 credits) Clinical review of unusual and rare oral and maxillofacial lesions (Fall or Spring)
- ODS 903 Oral Pathology Literature Review (1 credit) Review of current advances in head and neck pathology literature (Fall or Spring)
- ODS 910 Biopsy Service (5 credits) (Fall or Spring)
- ODS 911 Oral Pathology Journal Club (1 credit) (Fall or Spring)
- ODS 921 Oral Medicine Clinic (Fall or Spring)
- ODS 925 Advanced Oral Histopathology (2 credits) Microscopic examination of challenging and rare cases affecting the oral and paraoral region (Fall or Spring).
- ODS 671 Independent Study. Head and neck pathology seminar at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Department of Pathology (1 credit) (Fall or Spring)
- PTH 699 Six-month rotation at Buffalo General Hospital, Department of Anatomical Pathology (Fall or Spring)
Research
- (1-8 credits) Research project for the M.S. degree.
Elective Courses*
- OS 510 Research Seminar in the Oral Sciences (1 credit) Topical survey of the Oral Sciences where students have an opportunity to present their research findings to other students and faculty members (Fall or Spring).
- PER 978 Clinical Dental Pharmacology (1 credit) (Spring)
* Students may elect to take any of the courses announced in the University at Buffalo Graduate Courses Bulletin.
Year 3
Laboratory Assignments
Radiology (80 hours of instruction)
The final goal of this discipline is to provide a wide experience in a variety of imaging techniques that are used for diagnostic purposes. In particular, the trainees should be able to:
- Understand and apply radiation safety guidelines in a radiographic imaging facility.
- Interpret conventional dental radiographic studies (bitewing, periapical, occlusal, and panoramic) of the gnathic areas.
- Interpret radiographic images of salivary tissues involving the administration of contrast material (sialography).
- Interpret computerized axial tomographic scans (CAT-scans) of the head and neck region.
- Evaluate head and neck scans involving the administration of radionuclides.
- Interpret magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the head and neck region.
Required Courses
- CLD 555 Head and Neck Anatomy (1 credit) (*Offered every other year during Spring semester. It can be taken in either the 1st or 3rdyear, depending on the student’s academic load.)
- ODS 671 Independent Study. Head and neck pathology seminar at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Department of Pathology (1 credit) (Fall and Spring)
- ODS 901 Advanced Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (2 credits) Clinical review of unusual and rare oral and maxillofacial lesions (Fall)
- ODS 903 Oral Pathology Literature Review (1 credit) (Fall)
- ODS 910 Biopsy Service (5 credits) (Fall and Spring)
- ODS 911 Oral Pathology Journal Club (1 credit) (Fall)
- ODS 921 Oral Medicine Clinic (3 credits) (Fall and Spring)
- ODS 925 Advanced Oral Histopathology (2 credits) (2 credits) Microscopic examination of challenging and rare cases affecting the oral and paraoral region (Fall and Spring)
- ODS 960 Interpretation of Radiographic Imaging (1 credit) (Spring)
Research
- (1-8 credits)
Elective Courses*
- ODS 971 Independent Study Contemporary Imaging (1 credit) (Fall or Spring)
* Students may elect to take any of the courses announced in the University at Buffalo Graduate Courses Bulletin.
The Advanced Education overview page provides information about the Cost of Attendance.
Additional Expenses
Application Information
Fall 2024 Applicants — Important Dates
| Step | Date(s) |
|---|---|
| Applications Accepted | May 10 - November 15, 2023 |
| Interviews | late November - late December |
| Acceptance Letters Sent Out | mid-late January |
To apply, please submit all documents listed below. Your application will not be complete until these items have been received and you have submitted your application for formal review.
Required (All candidates applying via the UB Application)
1. The On-line UB Application
- Please complete all questions on the application completely and accurately.
- You must select your desired entry term (i.e. Fall 2024) and intended program of study as you begin the application.
- The personal information section of the application provides special instructions for international applicants; be certain to following instructions on how to accurately enter your name.
2. $50.00 non-refundable application fee
- Once you have submitted your online application for review, you will be able to pay the application fee by credit/debit card. Your application cannot be reviewed until the fee has been paid. Please note that the $50 application fee is non-refundable.
3. CV/Resume (upload to application)
4. Personal Statement (upload to application)
5. Letters of Recommendation
- Two letters of recommendation and a Dean's letter (if graduated from a US or Canadian dental school), otherwise three letters of recommendation.
- Recommendation letters must be uploaded electronically by your recommenders.
- You will submit names, titles and email addresses for three recommenders. They will receive an email request to electronically submit a letter on your behalf. The notification is traditionally sent to recommenders after the application is submitted for review. However, you can opt to have the email requests sent immediately as you enter recommender names; this option is suggested for candidates who are applying close to the application deadline to ensure sufficient time for upload.
6. Unofficial transcripts from EVERY college/university attended
- Transcript copies are accepted at the time of application and should be uploaded via the secure applicant portal. Do not mail original documents to us at the time of application unless specifically requested. If you are accepted into the program you will be asked to submit original transcripts with proper signatures, seals or stamps.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Academic documents from international institutions must be accompanied an ECE or WES document. Transcripts in a language other than English, require an exact, certified translation; an ECE course-by-course report is preferred. International applicants please include copy of certificate/diploma with proof of degree.
7. Unofficial NBDE Scores (optional)
- Unofficial scores from the National Board of Dental Examination Part I and/or Part II; required for all programs using the PASS application. Note: PASS candidates who take the iNBDE during their final year of dental training need to provide evidence of a passing score prior to matriculation.
- The NBDE is optional for all non-PASS programs.
Additional Requirements — International Applicants
In addition to the requirements listed above, please provide the following information on the ADEA PASS Application:
English Language Proficiency | ADEA PASS Application
International applicants must report a TOEFL score (79+) obtained within eighteen months of the application deadline; unoffocial score reports are sufficient.
NOTE: An official score report is not required; please do not send directly to the school.
Upon acceptance into the program, you will be asked to submit a copy of your passport along with financial documents. F1 and I-20 documents will also be requested, as applicable.
* All documents become property of the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and are not returnable to the applicant.
Questions?
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