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publish at least one paper during their training and this may take the form of basic science, translational research, clinical audit or case reports. Presentations at national and international meetings are encouraged and the BSOM off ers prizes at undergraduate and junior trainee level. A CCST in oral medicine is awarded by the GDC on the recommendation of the local postgraduate dental dean following evidence of satisfactory completion of the oral medicine curriculum and the Intercollegiate Specialty Fellowship Examination (ISFE) in Oral Medicine. Candidates must also achieve a successful outcome in the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) process as outlined in A Guide to Postgraduate Dental Specialty Training in the UK (Dental Gold Guide). Most oral medicine specialists will work either in the NHS as a consultant or in an academic university post with an honorary consultant appointment. For more information on a career in oral medicine visit the website of the British Society for Oral Medicine (see below).
Dr Clare Marney, honorary specialty trainee in oral medicine, Glasgow Dental School, with Jim Killgore, publications editor, MDDUS
Sources Atkin P, et al. Oral medicine. BMJ Careers 2006 332:33.
The British Society for Oral Medicine website:
www.bsom.org.uk
GDC. Specialty training curriculum for oral medicine. SAC in the Additional Dental Specialties. Access on the GDC website at
www.gdc-uk.org
Dr John Steele, specialty registrar/ honorary clinical lecturer in oral medicine
• What attracted you to a career in oral medicine? During my dental undergraduate years in Glasgow I was most interested in oral medicine and pathology and the excellent department there fuelled my curiosity. Following VT, I took up an SHO post at Dundee Dental Hospital in oral medicine and pathology and this made me determined to pursue oral medicine as a career. With this in mind, I accepted a three-year post as lecturer in oral medicine in Liverpool. This gave me vast experience of the spectrum of oral medicine and also research opportunities. I then went to medical school in Birmingham and following this worked as a doctor for a few years back in Merseyside. I then started in my current post as a specialty registrar/honorary clinical lecturer in oral medicine in Liverpool.
• What do you enjoy most about the specialty? I enjoy the medical management of the numerous conditions that aff ect the oral and maxillofacial region. Oral medicine lies at the interface of dentistry and medicine and has crossover with a number of medical specialties including dermatology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, ophthalmology, infectious disease, haematology and psychiatry. Many cases can provide both a diagnostic and management challenge due to patients’ co-morbidities and their polypharmacy. Also, after doing weeks of nights and weekends on call as a medical/surgical doctor and unsociable hours working in the emergency department, the nine-to-fi ve regular hours of outpatient clinics are highly desirable!
• Are there any downsides? Oral medicine, as a distinct specialty, is practised currently by only 36 consultants based in dental hospitals.
This means that there are only 16 oral medicine departments in total in the whole of the UK and Ireland. This limits where a potential trainee could work.
• What have you found most challenging in your training? The fi nancial ramifi cations of returning to medical school and therefore losing a regular income and associated pension contributions were challenging. However, the actual learning experience was invaluable.
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Have you been surprised by any aspect of your training? Not really. I knew what to expect having worked in my current unit before and also having read the oral medicine curriculum in advance.
• What advice would you give to a dentist considering oral medicine? Now that studying medicine and being registered with the GMC is no longer a requirement to enter specialist training, I would advise dentists to seek SHO/ clinical teaching posts in the specialty to gain valuable experience/publications prior to applying for a specialty registrar position. I would also recommend joining the British Society for Oral Medicine (BSOM,
www.bsom.org.uk) to keep abreast of clinical updates, specialty meetings and job opportunities.
• What is your most memorable experience so far in the specialty? The most memorable experiences are the challenging, interesting and rare cases that present. It is also very rewarding to reassure a highly anxious patient that they do not have the life-threatening condition they were anticipating. Also, having recently passed my exit exam (ISFE) in oral medicine I do not have to sit another exam ever again!
Pros and cons of oral medicine Pros
+ Interesting, varied and intellectually stimulating
+ + +
+
Uses breadth of medical and dental training Generally no on-call requirements
Clinical, learning and teaching, research, and administrative opportunities in either NHS or academia
Scope for specialty expansion
+ Starting consultant salary takes account of second clinical degree
Cons - Long training -
- Exam fatigue - -
From Atkin, et al High cost of training (but ability to locum) Availability of ST posts Geographic restrictions in UK and abroad
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