Introduction to oral and maxillofacial pathology
OMFP is the specific branch of pathology that specialises in assessing and diagnosing diseases in the head and neck region, with a particular focus on oral and maxillofacial pathology.
As an OMFP consultant, you typically work within general cellular pathology departments in hospitals alongside medically qualified histopathologists. In this role, you will spend most of your time examining tissues microscopically, either using a light microscope or increasingly utilising whole image slides (WSI) of digitised images, like radiologists. Your additional duties will include the surgical dissection (cut-up or trimming) of specimens submitted to the cellular pathology department discussing complex cases with other pathologists and participating in regular multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings, including cancer MDT meetings.
Much of your daily workload will be cancer-based, but many cellular pathologists also engage in teaching and research alongside their clinical duties. Some OMFP specialists are based within dental schools or cancer research centres, where they balance research, academic and clinical commitments as part of their role.
In this specialty, you will receive tissue biopsies from various sites, including the skin, oral mucosa, sinonasal mucosa, soft tissue, dental cysts, bone, and teeth, reflecting the diverse nature and complex anatomy of this fascinating region. These biopsies will range from incisional samples to complex surgical resection material, submitted by a wide range of surgical specialties.