Academic Training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - when and how to enter the pathway.

Entering into surgical academia can seem a daunting prospect for an oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) trainee. However, the streamlining of academic training by the NIHR to create the integrated academic training (IAT) pathway has simplified academic training and more clearly defined academic positions and entry points for trainees. In this article we review the current NIHR IAT pathway and the various grades and entry points available to OMF surgeons, both pre- and post-doctoral. We highlight the unique challenges facing OMF trainees and provide advice and insight from both junior and senior OMFS academics. Finally, we focus on the planning and application for a doctoral research fellowship - discussing funding streams available to OMF surgeons.

Open Access Publishing: A Study of Current Practice in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Research.

INTRODUCTION: Open access (OA) publication has become an increasingly common route for dissemination of scientific research findings. However, it remains a contentious issue with continued debate as to its impact on the peer-review process and a potential change in the quality of subsequent evidence published. There is little research that looks into OA in oral and maxillofacial surgery. METHODS: We investigated the OA policy in the 30 relevant journals listed in the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Knowledge journal citation report, comparing bibliometric data and quality of evidence produced in journals offering OA and those with subscription-only policies. RESULTS: 3474 articles were graded for evidence level and the results correlated to journal OA status. 76.7 % of journals offered authors OA services. There was no difference between impact factor, self-citation rate, total citations or quality of evidence between OA and subscription journals. DISCUSSION: These findings should send clear messages to both clinicians and researchers and should re- assure readers that scientific findings that are disseminated in open access form do not differ in quality to those in subscription-only format. It should reinforce that open access formats are a credible way to display research findings in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Review of orthognathic surgery and related papers published in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 2011-2012.

This review summarises all orthognathic and related papers published between January 2011 and December 2012 in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (BJOMS). A total of 36 articles were published, a high proportion of which (78%) were full-length papers. The remainder consisted of short communications and technical notes. The topics included operative planning and postoperative outcomes, and there was a strong focus on distraction osteogenesis. There were fewer orthognathic articles published in BJOMS than articles on other subspecialties such as trauma or head and neck oncology. Only 8 (29%) of the full-length articles were prospective studies or randomised trials, which highlights a need for well-designed clinical studies in orthognathic research.

Awareness of oral and maxillofacial surgery as a specialty and potential career pathway amongst UK medical undergraduates.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Although traditionally a "dentistry first, medicine second" training route, UK Oral and Maxillofacial surgery is increasingly populated with medicine-first trainees at ST3 level. Despite this, there is little evidence suggesting any increase in exposure at medical undergraduate level. We sought to evaluate the current level of awareness of OMFS as a medical specialty and potential career pathway amongst 'first-degree' medical undergraduates. METHOD: We distributed an on-line survey amongst 253 medical undergraduates divided between two UK universities. FINDINGS: A total of 72.3% of undergraduates received no exposure to OMFS in any form. Those with exposure had an improved understanding of the scope of the specialty. Regardless of previous exposure to the specialty, only 27.7% correctly identified the essential requirements for entry in OMFS specialty training. Nevertheless, a vast majority (76.7%) wanted more guidance on the possibility of pursuing a career in OMFS. CONCLUSIONS: Undergraduate exposure to OMFS in UK medical schools is limited. Even a small degree of exposure to OMFS improves understanding of the scope of the specialty. Although medical students do not fully understand the career pathway, they wish to explore OMFS as a career option. It is therefore important that UK undergraduate surgical curricula offer greater exposure to the specialty, the career pathway and the clinical opportunities it can provide.

A review of trauma and trauma-related papers published in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 2010-2011.

This review summarises all trauma and related papers published in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (BJOMS) from January 2010 to December 2011. In total 45 articles were published, of which 42% (19) were full-length articles. These articles primarily focused on the management of mandibular condyle and orbital fractures, with several papers discussing maxillofacial surgery by the British military. There were no articles discussing midfacial fractures or massive facial trauma. The remaining papers included short communications, technical notes, and letters; and provided discussion of interesting cases, new surgical techniques and fracture classifications. The number of trauma papers published in BJOMS appears to be less than other sub-specialties such as head and neck oncology. The number of prospective and randomised studies remains low, highlighting a need to foster further research within maxillofacial trauma.

A review of current clinical photography guidelines in relation to smartphone publishing of medical images.

The rise in popularity of smartphones has seen a surge in the number of smartphone-specific software applications (apps) available. Among these apps, many are medical and healthcare related, of benefit to both the general public and healthcare staff. With this improved technology comes the ability to display full-colour images and videos, for which medical images could be utilised. We reviewed current clinical photography guidelines in relation to the publishing of medical images in smartphone apps. Of the 5 relevant guidelines, none discussed hand-held electronic media or smartphone app publishing. This creates confusion for clinicians as to how to interpret current guidelines for this purpose. Medical illustrators, clinicians and NHS Trusts need to be aware of the changes in technology and the ethical considerations of allowing medical images to be published within smartphones. We discuss the issues surrounding consent and provide practical tips for obtaining informed consent from patients to publish medical images in smartphone apps.