New CBCTBMF board and the formation of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon

The residency consists of a specialty program characterized by in-service training. In 2002, the Federal Dental Council (CFO) regulated Residencies in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology with a workload of 6,000 hours and minimum duration of three years. In 2005, the Ministry of Education established the National Committee for Multiprofessional Residency and in Professional Health Area and established the operation of Residencies in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology for three years, with a weekly workload of 60 hours, adding up to 8,640 hours, with 80% of such workload for practice or theoretical-practical.

In Brazil there is a peculiarity, which is the training in Specialization modality, regulated by the CFO, with duration of two years, not being full-time or exclusive dedication, with a workload of 2,000 hours, which is well below that recommended by MEC. It is important to highlight that, in most countries, the training of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon takes at least four years.

This difference in training between specializations and residencies caused problems in the daily routine of the specialty, since the professional trained by Specialization has the same rights and duties as that trained by Residency – however, with a much lower technical condition. But how can we state that? First, because many members of the Brazilian College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology are professors and many of them had their training complemented in programs in other countries, having the knowledge to state that training in the specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology is very complex, requires a slow learning curve and there is a need to experience the various surgical procedures that involve the specialty as much as possible and repetitively. A period of two years, without exclusive dedication and with a workload of 2,000 hours, is not enough to provide such training.

In this sense, the Brazilian College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology has been negotiating, with CFO and MEC, a unification in the formation of the specialty, so that there is a single rule. In our understanding, all training programs should be at least three years long, with full time and exclusive dedication, with a workload of 60 hours per week and, if possible, implementing a fourth year. Then, our programs will be able to meet the guidelines suggested by the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, allowing exchanges between our resident students and resident students from other countries. The difference between Residency and Specialization would be that, in the Residency, the student would receive a scholarship, while in the Specialization the student would pay a monthly fee.

The College is working to create a minimum program, which may guide the operation of all programs, with the suggestion of minimum disciplines and procedures for good training of a specialist. The proposal would be the formation of evaluation committees, constituted by MEC, CFO and CBCTBMF, to evaluate the residency and specialization programs. The idea is not to close programs or specializations, but to provide conditions for these courses to train their students well and thus improve the specialty level in our country. Obviously, this would benefit the patients. Programs that have deficit in any field of the specialty may exchange residents, to complement their training in another service that is well structured in that specific area. Another objective would be the return of the exam for registration of specialty, in which the graduates of Residency and Specialization programs should take an exam, and those approved could register their specialty.

Vice-president of the Brazilian College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology

How to cite: Iwaki Filho L. New CBCTBMF board and the formation of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. J Braz Coll Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2021 Jan-Apr;7(1):11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14436/2358-2782.7.1.011-011.cbc Submitted: February 22, 2021 - Revised and accepted: February 25, 2021