Gundersen Lutheran health system is

* A comprehensive healthcare network including one of the nation's largest multi-specialty group medical practices, regional community clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, home care, behavioral health services, vision centers, pharmacies, and air and ground ambulances
* A physician-led, not-for profit healthcare system
* Located throughout western Wisconsin, northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota caring for patients in 19 counties
* Able to meet patients needs for primary and specialized care
* Comprised of more than 500 medical, dental and associate staff
* Supported by a staff of over 5,000
* A tertiary referral center
* A teaching hospital with 325 beds and a Level II Trauma and Emergency Center
* Named among the Top 100 in the nation seven times in the last nine years.
* The designated Western Clinical Campus for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School and School of Nursing

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program Overview

One of the strengths of the four-year Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center-La Crosse is its blend of inpatient and outpatient experiences that closely resembles the practice of oral surgeons. It also offers both primary care and tertiary care opportunities in a very busy oral surgery practice. Residents see the routine and more unusual cases.

Because there are no fellows to compete for cases, residents have an unusual opportunity from day one to work side-by-side with attending oral surgeons and Gundersens full complement of dental specialists. Residents enjoy increasing responsibilities until their chief resident year when they run an oral surgery service under the guidance of a supervising oral surgeon. Our focus is training oral surgeons who are excellent clinicians and understand the basic science behind oral surgery procedures.

Our exceptional record of 100 percent of our graduates passing their certification boards the first time they took them over the past 25 years reflects the commitment of our faculty, most of whom have teaching appointments at university dental schools. Medical and dental specialists and residents work in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Attending staff members medical and dental are available to answer questions. They value close working relationships with residents and medical students, creating a nurturing rather than adversarial teaching atmosphere, a milieu we believe prepares better oral surgeons and carries over into patient care.

We offer lectures, small group discussions and interactive conferences where attending and resident physicians discuss cases. The Stenger Oral Surgery Learning Center offers state-of-the-art educational facilities for oral surgery, including an extensive library and a five-headed microscope that allows residents to study tissue samples together with an attending dental specialist. Full computer capabilities are available to residents.

Oral surgeons here are interested in clinical research and residents are expected to write one paper suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Research develops skills in accessing and using medical literature and creates a desire to find answers to problems that oral surgeons experience in practice. To support research and publishing, we provide the assistance of a research associate, a secretary, databases and statistical resources, and give residents full credit for work they do as first author or co-author of these papers.

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency is a fully-accredited, non-degree program that meets the requirements of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Biomedical sciences as they relate to oral and maxillofacial surgery are presented through regularly-scheduled weekly instructional courses, conferences and seminars and during rotations in medicine, anesthesia, general surgery and other surgical subspecialty services.

Oral and Maxillofacial Residency Conferences

* Maxillofacial Trauma
* Morbidity/Mortality
* Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology
* Orthognathic Surgery
* Dental Implants
* Basic Sciences
* Journal Club

Curriculum & Schedule

During the month of January each year, all conference time is dedicated to the study of head and neck anatomy. The first year resident performs the dissections and presents at conferences, while the third year resident is responsible for guiding and teaching. The result is an annual comprehensive review of head and neck anatomy.

The purpose of monthly rotations is to provide the residents with the most comprehensive Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery training possible. The rotations have been developed within the guidelines of the AAOMS. Residents are given some flexibility within these guidelines to take other rotations based on their individual interests.

Selected Rotation Descriptions
Anesthesiology Residents work individually with one of the departments 14 anesthesiologists to learn airway management, support of the anesthetized patient, regional anesthesia, respiratory care, and care of ICU patients. Challenging cases are discussed at monthly conferences.

Introduction to Graduate Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery First-year residents learn treatment of outpatients, ward rounds, and operating room procedures, and attend clinical conferences. During this period, residents assist at operations, receive instruction and guidance in admissions and discharge of patients, perform minor surgery, and are introduced to the management of facial trauma and the role of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon in the hospital.

Neurosurgery Residents work with three neurosurgeons on diagnostic evaluation of neurosurgical patients, including interpreting angiography, CT and MRIs and assisting at major neurosurgical operations. Residents have maximum exposure to neurosurgical trauma patients and management of serious disorders of the brain and spinal cord.

Physical Diagnosis and Clinical Medicine Residents are assigned to the chief resident in medicine, participating in the Department of Medicines rounds and conferences. General medicine has four inpatient services, each with an attending physician who changes every three weeks. Each service averages 15 patients with two admissions per day and four to nine on night call. The emphasis for oral surgery residents is on cardiovascular and pulmonary medicine.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Experience is gained in diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients in both facial and general plastic surgery, including aesthetic surgery, head and neck reconstructive surgery, and microvascular free flaps. The department is staffed by a facial plastic surgeon and a general plastic surgeon.

Pulmonary Medicine Experience is gained in intubation, ventilator management, pulmonary artery line and arterial line placement, and interpretation of pulmonary function tests. The primary care/consultation service averages 25 patients per day, including three patients on a respirator and two others in critical care who are not. The service averages two inpatient admissions and two consultations daily. A pulmonary teaching conference is held monthly and a pulmonary work conference weekly.

More details:
- Residency Curriculum & Schedule
- Surgery Resident

This information is reposted with thanks to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center.