How To Become an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

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How Long Does It Take, What Degree Do You Need, and More

Oral Surgeons

Oral Surgeons perform surgery and related procedures on the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects. May diagnose problems of the oral and maxillofacial regions. May perform surgery to improve function or appearance.

Salary
$234990
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Doctoral degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



What degree do you need

Recommended degree level

Post-Doctoral Training

We did a survey to ask other Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons what degree they had when they became an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. Here are the results.
Post-Doctoral Training
72.2%


PhD
19.84%


First Professional Degree
7.96%


One of the most common questions that we always get is what major or degree do I need to become Oral Surgeons or what courses do I need to take.

We also asked Oral Surgeons what did they major in college or university and here are the top 5 most popular majors that came up.

Oral or Maxillofacial Surgery
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons are required to have a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree. Most dental students need at least a bachelor’s degree before entering dental school; requirements vary by school. All dental schools require applicants to have completed certain required science courses, such as biology and chemistry.



How hard is it

Difficulty
Very Hard

You will need an extensive amount of skill, knowledge and experience to be an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, a surgeon must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Careers in this difficulty category may need some on-the-job-training, but most of these careers assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, and work-related experience and training. These careers usually involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Similar careers include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, neurologists, and veterinarians.


Related work experience required
4 to 6 years

4 to 6 years
27.64%


Over 10 years
21.25%


2 to 4 years
18.95%


Job training
None

None
43.98%


2 to 4 years
27.81%


3 to 6 months
8.51%



License and certifications

Do you need any license or certification
Required

All states require Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons to be licensed; requirements vary by state. Most states require Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons to have a degree from an accredited dental school and to pass a written and practical exam.


Skills required

We asked other Oral Surgeons if they could only have 5 skills, what would they be. Here is what they said.

1. Complex Problem Solving what does this mean
2. Judgement and Decision Making what does this mean
3. Reading Comprehension what does this mean
4. Critical Thinking what does this mean
5. Active Listening what does this mean

= Hot in-demand that most employers are looking for


Knowledge required

Just like any other job, you will need certain know-hows to excel at your job. Oral Surgeons are generally very knowledgeable in these 5 key areas.

1. Medicine and Dentistry what does this mean
2. Biology what does this mean
3. English Language what does this mean
4. Customer and Personal Service what does this mean
5. Psychology what does this mean


Learn more about Oral Surgeons

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Job Description
Salary
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Related to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Requirements

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons requirements, how to become Oral Surgeons, degree required to be an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons license and certifications, majors to be an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, is it hard to become an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and how long does it take


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