OMSSAT
Assessment Available to All

The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Assessment Tool (OMSSAT) is now available to all Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.  Through an agreement reached by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery a totally new evaluation tool was developed to permit residents, interns and practicing surgeons an opportunity to assess their knowledge of the breadth and scope of the specialty.

The OMSSAT is composed of eight (8) content areas.  Four (4) content areas will be available each year.  Thus, during a two (2) year period all eight content areas are available for individual assessment.  There are fifty (50) items asked in each content area.  Each participant will respond to two hundred (200) total items.  The assessment blueprint is:

I. Medical Assessment & Management of Surgical Patient      

A. Cardiovascular
B. Respiratory
C. Musculoskeletal & Nervous System
D. Endocrine, GI, GU, Metabolic                

II. Anesthesia                                                       

A. Local Anesthesia
B. Conscious Sedation                               
C. General Anesthesia                              
D. ACLS              

III. Dentoalveolar                                                  

A. Erupted Teeth
B. Unerupted Teeth
C. Preprosthetic Surgery
D. Dental Implants
 

IV. Trauma                                                            

A. Dentoalveolar Injuries
B. Mandibular Injuries
C. Mid/Upper Face Injuries
D. Soft Tissue Injuries
E. ATLS

V. Orthognathic/Cleft/Craniofacial            

A. Mandibular Deformities                        
B. Maxillary Deformities                           
C. Bimaxillary Deformities                        
D. Cleft Lip and Palate                              
E. Craniofacial Syndromes                        

VI. Cosmetic                                                         

A. Nasal                                                   
B. Periorbital                                            
C. Skeletal Contour Alteration                   
D. Soft Tissue Procedures             

VII. TMD/Pain                                                       

A. Muscle Disorders                                 
B. Internal Derangements                         
C. Arthritides                                            
D. Disorders of Mobility                            
E. TMJ Reconstruction                             
F. Facial Pain                                           

VIII. Pathology/Reconstruction

A. Infections                                             
B. Benign Hard Tissue                              
C. Benign Soft Tissue                               
D. Malignant Hard Tissue                          
E. Malignant Soft Tissue                           
F. Dermatopathology                                
G. Salivary Gland Pathology
H. Free Hard Tissue Grafts
I. Free Soft Tissue Grafts 
J. Free Vascularized Grafts
K. Local Flaps                  
L. Regional Pedicled Flaps

Questions on these topics reflect the areas of Basic Sciences, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning, Management, and Sequelae/Complications. Basic Sciences includes pertinent anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, physics, microbiology, etc. Diagnosis includes the clinical, radiographic, and laboratory examination, and evaluation of the patient. Management includes the surgical and non-surgical treatment of the particular disorder. Sequelae/Complications include diagnosis and management of sequelae and complications.

The items are developed by a committee of oral and maxillofacial surgeons.  Editors for each section or content area in the OMSSAT review items.  Valid psychometric criteria are applied at each stage of development.  The OMSSAT is criterion referenced and will not be graded on a curve.  Items will not be equated because a new OMSSAT will be developed and administered yearly.

The OMSSAT will serve as a learning tool as well as an assessment mechanism.  After scores have been reported all participants will have online access to the entire self assessment, correct response, a rationale for the correct answer, and references for each item.  It is believed that this will be advantageous for future study needs.