Dental Sleep Medicine Fellowship

Stanford Sleep Medicine is a division under the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science that takes eight fellows a year. The Stanford Sleep Medicine Center was the first fellowship program accredited by the American Sleep Disorders Association and is considered the world's leading training program for sleep disorders medicine. The sleep medicine fellows come from a variety of medical fields, including internal medicine, neurology, psychiatry, pediatrics, otolaryngology, family medicine, and anesthesia.  

The fellows will gain broad exposure to sleep medicine and valuable experience in working with sleep medicine fellows and faculty at the Stanford sleep medicine clinic. They will experience polysomnographic technology and learn how to read and interpret polysomnography. Dr. Rafel Pelayo will be supervising the fellows during this phase of the program. 

In addition, fellows will evaluate treatment plans and deliver dental treatment for sleep disorder patients at the dental sleep medicine clinic at Stanford. Dr. Audrey Yoon, who is a faculty at both Stanford and the Dugoni School, will be supervising the fellows. The fellows will gain experience in reading and interpreting diagnostic sleep studies, understanding growth and development, treatment planning for patients with sleep-disordered breathing, understanding the use and limitations of home sleep apnea tests (HSAT) during oral appliance titration, and recognizing the potential limitations and complications of treatment. 

The San Francisco VA sleep team works closely with mental health providers, otolaryngologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, dentists, neurologists, nutritionists and cardiologists to ensure comprehensive evaluation and care management. 

Dr. Rishi Jay Gupta, Section Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, has been instrumental in co-developing a collaborative multi-disciplinary sleep management program at SFVA which has grown to include Northern California, Nevada, Hawaii, and Pacific Islands. He now leads the surgical and dental components at VISN 21 (regional sites), driving innovation and excellence in the field. 

Under the guidance of Drs. Rishi Jay Gupta and Rebeka Silva, dental sleep medicine fellows actively participate in sleep surgery treatment planning and gain invaluable firsthand experience by observing various sleep surgeries (MMA and if indicated TMJ reconstruction, upper airway stimulation (Inspire), soft tissue procedures (expansion pharyngoplasty, tonsillectomy, nasal procedures, genioglossus advancement). This immersive learning environment not only equips fellows with the necessary skills and insights into sleep surgery but also fosters an interdisciplinary approach to obstructive sleep apnea patient care. 

Fellows have the opportunity to delve into various surgery procedures, gaining hands-on experience and in-depth understanding under the mentorship of experienced practitioners. Additionally, they participate in various learning opportunities, such as case studies and surgical simulations, to enhance their proficiency in dental sleep medicine and surgical interventions.

Program Length: 12 months
Tuition: $65,000
Application Deadline: November 15
Contact: Gloria Sue at gsue@pacific.edu

Requirements

• DMD, DDS or BDS degree and a certificate of orthodontics
• International applicants: TOEFL or IELTS test score
• Curriculum vitae
• Personal statement including explanation of interest in this program
• Transcripts — dental school and orthodontic residency (for international applicants, only evaluations by ECE will be accepted)
• Two references
• Complete University of the Pacific application

Applicants may be selected for an initial interview based on these submissions.

Fellows will be enrolled in AADSM’s Mastery I & II program. In addition fellows will be active participants in sleep lecture series, article reviews, research seminars and interdisciplinary case conferences throughout the program. Lectures will be conducted by faculty members and guest speakers on topics relevant to somnology and general and dental sleep medicine. Supplementary reading material will include articles relevant to the fields of somnology, sleep and airway surgery, and general and dental sleep medicine.

• AADSM’s Mastery I & II program 
• Dental Sleep Medicine Seminars I, II, and III
• Clinical Management of Sleep Apnea Patients I, II, and III
• Overview of TMD and orofacial pain disorders
• Management of medical compromised patients
• Human growth and development
• Sleep Apnea and Snoring - surgical and non-surgical therapy
• Interdisciplinary complex cases seminars
• Research methodology
• Introduction to Biostatistics
• Epidemiology and Critical Thinking in the Practice of Dentistry

Faculty will continuously evaluate fellows during clinical activities focusing on collaborative patient-centered care, informal assessment of cognitive skills, and teaching discussions. A bimonthly evaluation is done based on the following competencies.

1. Patient Care:

•  Perform a thorough medical history and examination
• Order appropriate diagnostic tests
• Reading and interpretation of sleep studies
• Develop a clinical assessment and treatment plan; establish short and long term follow up care
• Interact with other health care providers

2. General Knowledge:

• Access and critically evaluate current medical information and scientific evidence relevant to sleep medicine and dental sleep medicine.

3. Practice-Based Learning and Improvement:

• Identify and acknowledge gaps in personal knowledge and skills
• Clinical case presentations
• Presentation during articles reviews
• Participation in research projects and publications.

4. Interpersonal Skills and Communication:

• Communicate effectively with patients
• Communicate effectively with sleep physicians, sleep surgeons and other health care professionals
• Presentations in clinical case conferences.

5. Professionalism:

• Carry out professional responsibilities and adhere to ethical principles
• Complete assigned duties, which includes clinical record documentation
• Attend required conferences
• Adhere to the principles of good clinical practice and patient safety
• Behave professionally towards patients, families, colleagues, and all members of the health care team.

The process to become board certified in dental sleep medicine is managed through the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM). Fellows will be encouraged to take the board examination and will be guided during the application process. Emphasis is placed upon training the fellow to the standards for board certification.