Oral Medicine
Hospital-based specialty training in oral medicine and academic clinical care
The Oral Medicine Residency at Harvard School of Dental Medicine is an intensive, hospital-based specialty training program for dentists pursuing academic, institutional, and clinical leadership careers. Residents train across Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston Children's Hospital, gaining experience in managing medically complex and oncologic patient populations.
Residents are co-appointed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard School of Dental Medicine, integrating advanced clinical care with scholarly development. The program is fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
Certificate, Master of Medical Sciences (MMSc) degree/combined certificate, and Doctor of Medical Sciences (DMSc)degree/combined certificate pathways are available based on academic and career goals. Graduates are prepared for careers in hospital-based oral medicine practice, academic dentistry, and clinical research.
Degrees/certificates offered
Certificate only
- Duration: Three years
- Completion: Certificate of completion
- Costs: Facility fee (no tuition)
- Benefits: Salary and benefits follow the MGB Resident Benefit Guide
- Additional Training: Encouraged to pursue clinical research training
- Availability: One to two positions annually, starting mid-June
Master of Medical Sciences (MMSc)/Certificate in Oral Medicine
- Duration: Four years (three years of tuition + one-year facility fee)
- Completion: Certificate of completion and MMSc degree from HSDM
- Stipend Support: None
Doctor of Medical Sciences (DMSc)/Certificate in Oral Medicine
- Duration: Five years (four years of tuition + one-year facility fee)
- Completion: Certificate of completion and DMSc degree from HSDM
- Stipend Support: None
Program details and academic policies
- Residents receive intensive training in oral medicine and rotate in medical fields such as:
- Oral surgery, oral pathology
- Internal medicine, inpatient care
- Otorhinolaryngology, head and neck oncology
- Dermatology, hematology/oncology
- Head and neck radiology, cancer imaging
- Infectious diseases, emergency medicine
- Rheumatology, immunology and allergy
- Orofacial pain, headache, and complementary and alternative medicine
Supervision and Evaluation
- Supervision: All clinical activities supervised by attending faculty
- Evaluations: Conducted after every rotation; progress reviewed semiannually with the program director
- Core Didactics: Lectures, oral medicine seminar/literature review, grand rounds
- Coursework: HSDM and HMS (varies by program track)
- Research: All residents gain research experience, with DMSc participants completing doctoral-level research and defending a thesis.
Certificate recipients are board eligible for:
- The American Board of Oral Medicine (ABOM)
- The Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh (RCSEd)
The program in oral medicine is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. For more information, visit CODA’s website for more information.
Program handbook
Oral Medicine program
Discover the Advanced Graduate Education program in Oral Medicine at Harvard School of Dental Medicine—an intensive training program with clinical experience at Harvard-affiliated hospitals.
Program director
Piamkamon Vacharotayangul
pvacharotayangul@bwh.harvard.edu