Program Director
Alan S. Herford, DDS, MD
Program Director of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
For a list of other Faculty for the Advanced Dental Education Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, click here.
The application process for all Advanced Dental Education Programs has changed. Please apply directly through PASS beginning May of this year.
General Information
| Accreditation status: | "Approval" (next accreditation 2022) |
| Length of program(s): | 6-years in residence 4-years |
| Number of applicants accepted each year: | Three (3) for the 6-year program One (1) for the 4-year program |
| Applications accepted as of: | May |
| Application deadline: | October 1 |
| Program start date: | July following year |
Application Method
| PASS application: | An PASS application is required |
| LLU supplemental application: | Is required and will be emailed to applicant |
| Match application: | A Match application is mandatory |
Contact Information
| Program phone number: | 909-558-4671 |
| Fax number: | 909-558-0285 |
The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery clinic located within the School of Dentistry.
Dr. Alan S. Herford, Department Chair.
Program Description
Mission statement: The mission of Loma Linda University Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is to train residents to become competent oral and maxillofacial surgeons and to fulfill their individual goals for a professional career as oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Additionally, it is the mission of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery to instill in our graduates a spirit of life-long learning and professional improvement as well as a calling for “Service Above Self.”
The Advanced Dental Educational Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is designed to prepare the resident for the practice of the specialty and provide the foundation for the continued acquisition of knowledge and skills. Clinical surgical health care delivery and basic science research are emphasized. The resident is introduced to research methodology and teaching to develop an increased awareness of their importance in assessing clinical procedures and patient management. The content of the program conforms to the Standards of the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and is designed to prepare the surgeon for certification by the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.
A six-year residency program is available. Three (3) six-year residency positions are available each year. Residents in the 6-year program will also complete medical school and a one-year general surgery internship. The residency program starts on July 1.
Graduates of the residency program are educationally qualified for certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
The goals of the Advanced Dental Education Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery are:
| Goal 1 | To prepare the resident for competent delivery of health care. |
| Goal 2 | To prepare the resident for continual acquisition of skills and knowledge to improve health care. |
| Goal 3 | To prepare the resident for certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. |
| Goal 4 | To provide the background for stimulation of academic achievement should the resident wish to enter into a teaching career. |
| Goal 5 | To enable the resident to practice the full scope of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in a competent and skillful manner based on a thorough knowledge of the basic sciences. |
| Goal 6 | To integrate oral and maxillofacial surgical care with other medical and dental specialties into the health care delivery system. |
| Goal 7 | To conduct clinical investigation and/or research studies. |
| Goal 8 | To encourage the resident to practice the specialty based upon the highest moral and ethical standards. |
| Goal 9 | To provide residents the opportunity to achieve a high degree of clinical competency in their specialty. |
| Goal 10 | To provide extensive surgical experience of a broad nature. |
| Goal 11 | To provide competence in the administration of inpatient and outpatient general anesthesia, local anesthesia and sedation techniques. |
| Goal 12 | For the administrative training to provide the resident with the basic skills and tools required to manage their practice. |
| Goal 13 | To provide competence in resident communication skills. Training will include public speaking, lecturing, writing, and improving the resident's critical thinking providing a foundation to become an effective student and mentor. |
| Goal 14 | To provide residents with the skill to proficiently assess and treat problems of the maxillofacial region. This includes dentoalveolar surgery, maxillofacial trauma, reconstructive surgery, pathology and orthognathic/craniofacial surgery. |
| Goal 15 | To demonstrate the importance of life long learning and to encourage promotion of faculty. |
Operatory inside the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic.
Panorex and lateral ceph x-ray machine located in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic.
Application and Admission Process
Submit application to the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS) beginning May of this year. PASS application . The Advanced Dental Education Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery participates in the PASS application service of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) allowing applicants to apply to multiple participating institutions using one standardized format. We strongly recommend that you apply within the first two months. After your PASS application is received by LLUSD, a supplemental application invitation will be emailed to you. This can take several weeks after the PASS application has been submitted.
The Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (Match) - The Loma Linda University Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery also participates in the Match program to help to identify and "match" the preferences of applicants and the advanced education program a using rank order list of the applicants and the program. http://www.natmatch.com/dentres
Invitation to Interview - A select number of completed applications from PASS, which meet the minimum admissions requirements, are reviewed (refer to Admissions Requirements below). The top candidates are invited for an interview by a selection committee composed of department faculty and outside faculty/administrators and chaired by the program director. A separate interview is conducted by representatives of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine.
Admissions Decisions - The program director presents the rank order for admission for discussion and approval by the Graduate Admissions Committee at the end of the winter quarter. That rank order is then submitted to the Match Program. Applicants and programs will receive the results of the "Match" directly from the Match Program.
Acceptance - Candidates are offered acceptance through the Match.
Although not required at the time of application, candidates are required to have an active, valid, unrestricted California Dental License prior to beginning residency. Candidates must also have an active DEA number at the time they begin residency.
Background check - Accepted students must complete a background check in order to register and begin the program.
Health Clearance Information and CPR Training for Incoming Graduate Students and Residents - All individuals accepted into an Advanced Education Program must receive a health clearance from Student Health Service before they are permitted to start their program. A health clearance includes passing a PPD (tuberculosis), Hepatitis B, and MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) test. In addition, all incoming graduate students/residents also must undergo Health Care Provider CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training and obtain certification prior to the start of their program.
How to obtain information regarding policies on blood-borne and infectious diseases:
Federal OSHA (www.osha.gov) In search menu type: Bloodborne Pathogens 1910.1030
State Cal/OSHA (www.dir.ca.gov) In search menu type: Bloodborne Pathogens Standards 5193
Admissions Requirements
The following information and documentation are required for all applications to the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Program:
1. Transcript(s) - from all post-secondary institutions from which the applicant received credit whether or not the work pertains to their LLU degree. Only official transcript(s) will be accepted. An official transcript is one that is submitted directly from the school, college, or university to Loma Linda University. Transcripts that are hand-carried or mailed by an applicant, even if in a sealed envelope, cannot be considered official and will be recorded as still missing. Transcripts should be mailed directly to: Admissions Processing, 11139 Anderson Street, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350.
Applicants who have transcripts from non-US dental schools must submit a translated course-by-course transcript report from one of the following agencies (See International Transcript Information):
- World Education Services (WES) *
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc (ECE)
- American Education Research Corporation (AERC)
* If ordering an evaluation from WES, you must order a WES ICAP course-by-course evaluation. Academic copies of transcripts/mark sheets and degree certificates included in official WES reports, are considered by Loma Linda University, as official and fulfill the document requirements for those schools listed on the report.
2. Official Degree Certificate (for all international applicants) - Any foreign transcript (or mark sheet) that does not list on it the graduation information, including the actual degree earned, must be supported by an official degree certificate or school-verified copy of the degree certificate mailed directly from the issuing institution to Admissions Processing, Loma Linda University.
Applicants who are uncertain as to whether or not their transcript lists graduation information and degree earned should contact their school before requesting a separate degree certificate.
3. GPA and Class Rank- A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. GPA and class rank can be submitted through the Institutional Evaluation on PASS.
4. National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) - Successful completion of the National Board Dental Examination Part I and Part II (when available) is required of all applicants. Please allow plenty of time for NBDE score report requests to be processed by the ADA. Have NBDE scores sent to admissions.app@llu.edu. We cannot accept NBDE scores reported in a Dean's letter as an official report of test results. Request NBDE scores
5. National Board Medical Examination (NBME) - Applicants must take the National Board Medical Examination (NBME) Comprehensive Basic Science Exam and have their official test results reported to Loma Linda University by the application deadline. If the test has been taken more than once, all scores must be submitted. Please visit the NBME website for further information: http://www.nbme.org/students/Subject-Exams/subexams.html.
6. English Proficiency Exam - Regardless of nationality or citizenship, an applicant whose native language is not English or whose secondary education has been given outside the U.S. is required to pass one of the following English proficiency tests:
- TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date. The institution code for Loma Linda University is 4062. TOEFL minimum scores are: 80 - Internet-based test , 550 - Paper-based test, including a minimum final score of 5.0 on the TWE part (Test of Written English)
- IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. LLU minimum score is 6.5
- MELAB LLU minimum score is 77
7. Letters of recommendation - Three letters of recommendation from individuals who have known and worked closely with the candidate are required in support of an application. Letters of recommendation are valid for no more than two consecutive years for the same program. Letters of recommendation also must be program specific (ie, support an applicant for the actual program to which he/she is applying). Electronic notifications to the recommenders are sent out after submitting the online application. Alternatively, an applicant applying to the program through PASS may use their Personal Potential Index (PPI) evaluation report, Professional Evaluation Forms (PEF), and Institutional Evaluation Form (IEF) for their LLU application as well. Applicants who would like to use their PASS letters of recommendation should leave the recommendation section of their LLU online application blank and after submitting the application, the PPI evaluations will be matched up.
Important Instructions for the Transmittal of Official Documents
All official documents must be mailed from the issuing institutions. Applicants must not mail originals or official copies of transcripts, GRE scores, National Dental Board scores, and TOEFL scores themselves.
An application is not considered complete until all required supporting documents have been received. Only completed applications go to committee for consideration. This policy holds true for both U.S. and non-U.S. applicants. So please apply early.
From L-R: Drs. Glenn Green, Justin Weaver, Ayleen Rojhani, Luiza Portnoff, Ryan Falke, Alan Herford (chair), Nathan Latimer, Andre Guerrero Fernandes, Michael Pace, Katina Nguyen, and Jason Rogers.
Tuition and Fees
Individuals admitted to the 6-year program must pay School of Medicine tuition and fees for the three years of medical school enrollment. No tuition or fees are charged for the final three years.
Overview of the 6-Year Dual Degree MD/Certificate Program
Year 2 - Residents continue in the second year of medical school.
Year 3 - Residents continue in the third year of medical school.
Year 4 - Residents complete the fourth year of medical school in October of this year. Training ensues with the ACGME- accredited Transitional Year, comprised of General Surgical and Anesthesia rotations, which includes one (1) month of Pediatric Anesthesia. The TY lasts 12 months, of which the first 8 months takes place in the fourth year of residency.
Year 5 - Residents complete the last four (4) months of TY this year. They then return to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as Senior residents.
Year 6 - Residents complete their final year of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as Chief Residents, taking on greater surgical, teaching, and administrative duties.
Applicants accepted to our OMS/MD training program receive advanced standing at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. At the conclusion of three years of medical school, there is a one-year general surgery internship, which provides additional experience and fulfills the requirements of licensure in those states requiring one post-graduate year of medical residency. The remainder of the program satisfies the requirements for the Advanced Dental Education Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, which requires at least 30 months of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery experience.
Residents receive stipends for their entire PGY-1 year of surgery and the final two years of OMS. Medical school tuition must be paid by the student for three years.
Required courses for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery can be found in the University Catalog.
OMS Clerkship
A 1- and 2-week clerkship is available for dental students in U.S. dental schools in their 3rd and 4th year. For more information, contact Victoria Quihuis at vquihuis@llu.edu or (909) 558-4671.