The University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) offers a offers a twelve-month, full-time Advanced Observership in Artificial Intelligence for Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Radiology. The University of Maryland School of Dentistry is the world's first dental college, and its Division of Artificial Intelligence Research is the first division of AI research to be established in a dental school. The Division maintains one of the largest datasets of high-resolution whole slide histopathology images and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) radiology images nationally.
The mission of the Division is to explore the incorporation of both explainable and interpretable AI models in AI research. This involves unraveling the opaque black box of AI models and designing rationale-based decision-making models that build trust for researchers and patients. The Division's core focus is ethical AI and striving to maintain the highest standards for the responsible use of AI, and that commitment frames every element of this observership.
The program is designed for international dentists and specialists in oral medicine, oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, prosthodontics, and allied disciplines who intend to establish or strengthen AI research and education programs at their home institutions.
Enrollment is limited to a maximum of two participants per year.
About the Program
Schedule
Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day, for twelve consecutive months, with a minimum attendance of 90 percent. Absences must be requested and approved in advance.
- Holidays and vacations coincide with the post-graduate schedule.
- The school may also close for severe weather events.
Program Fee
One-year: $80,000 USD
A non-refundable deposit of $5,000 for the program is required to hold your place in the program and must be received within 10 business days of the acceptance notification. The formal acceptance packet will be sent upon receipt of the deposit. The balance of the full tuition is due one month before the start of the program.
Enrollment is limited to a maximum of two participants per year. Admission is competitive and is made by interview on a rolling basis. Applications are reviewed as they are received, and start dates are arranged individually with the Division. Early application is strongly encouraged.
Deadline for submission of applications
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Early application is strongly encouraged.
Admission process
Upon submission of all required documentation, applications will be reviewed by the admissions committee. As required, an in-person or virtual interview may be scheduled with the applicant.
Admission criteria to the Advanced Observership in Artificial Intelligence for Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Radiology program includes, but is not limited to, academic achievements, demonstrated interest, performance in previously attended academic programs, letters of recommendation, and basic computer literacy.
Prior programming experience, particularly in Python, is welcome but not required; introductory instruction is provided.
.
Additional Information
Application Requirements
-
- Completed application
- Application fee ($160.00 USD)
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Personal statement/letter of intent
- Notarized copy of dental school diploma/degree
- Original transcripts/translated in English
- ECE/WES course-by-course evaluation
- TOEFL score reports
- Three letters of recommendation from the dental school where you are currently a student or have graduated.
- Dean
- Department Chairperson
- Faculty member
- Passport biographical page
- Completed medical immunization records including COVID vaccination
English Language Test Requirements:
- TOEFL (minimum 80 internet-based test, 550 paper based)*
- IELTS (minimum 7.0 total bandwidth score) please attach results*
*Scores from these exams must be no more than two years old at the time of submission of the J-1 request.
All Visa requirements are the sole responsibility of the applicant.
- J-1 Visa (minimum requirement), H-4, and O-3 visas are accepted.
Components of the program
Participants are embedded in the Division's research operations and are exposed to the full translational pipeline: image acquisition and high-resolution whole slide scanning, dataset curation and expert annotation, model development and evaluation, explainability analysis, ethical and regulatory review, and dissemination through peer-reviewed publication. The program is designed for international dentists and specialists in oral medicine, oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, prosthodontics, and allied disciplines who intend to establish or strengthen AI research and education programs at their home institutions.
Participants participate in the Division's weekly rhythm — AI lab meetings, journal club, departmental seminar series, oral pathology sign-out and oral and maxillofacial radiology reading sessions, and the multidisciplinary head and neck tumor board — and are assigned to a longitudinal research project with faculty mentorship throughout. The curriculum is organized in four progressive phases:
Months 1–3: Foundations. Institutional onboarding, compliance and information-security training, and an introduction to the Division's infrastructure. Participants are introduced to the fundamentals of machine learning and deep learning for diagnostic imaging, the distinction between explainable and interpretable models, the digital pathology and CBCT imaging workflows, and the current AI literature in oral medicine, oral pathology, and oral and maxillofacial radiology. A research question and project plan are defined by the end of this phase.
Months 4–6: Data and Ground Truth. Observation of high-resolution whole slide scanning, image quality control, de-identification, storage, and version control. Participants learn and apply standardized annotation protocols to build expert-labeled ground truth datasets, evaluate inter- and intra-observer agreement, and examine how dataset composition introduces bias, data leakage, and distribution shift.
Months 7–9: Model Development and Evaluation. Observation of and participation in model training and validation workflows for image classification, object detection, and semantic segmentation, together with the interpretation of performance metrics and their limitations in a diagnostic context. Explainability and interpretability methods are applied to model outputs, and the critical appraisal of AI studies against reporting standards such as CLAIM, STARD-AI, and TRIPOD+AI is emphasized.
Months 10–12: Translation, Ethics, and Dissemination. The final phase addresses the ethical, medico-legal, privacy, and regulatory dimensions of AI in dentistry, including HIPAA, institutional review board oversight, United States Food and Drug Administration device pathways, and emerging American Dental Association and International Organization for Standardization standards for AI in dentistry. Participants also examine the responsible use of generative AI and large language models in scholarly writing, education, and patient communication. The phase concludes with the preparation of a scholarly product and a written implementation plan for AI research or education at the participant's home institution.
This is a non-clinical, observational program. Participants do not provide patient care, are not licensed to practice dentistry in Maryland through this program, and do not receive academic credit or a United States specialty certificate upon completion. A certificate of completion is issued by the University of Maryland School of Dentistry Office of Continuing Dental Education.
*Note:
The certificate awarded for this program is a continuing education program certificate. This is NOT a CODA-accredited residency or postgraduate program.
This program is not intended to prepare individuals to practice any specialty in the US. Completion of these Continuing Education hours is an educational goal, and in no way ensures acceptance to the Advanced Residency Program. It is expected that the individual will return to his/her country after gaining insight and improving his/her knowledge. Upon completion and meeting the requirements of the Advanced Program, participants will receive a certificate of completion from the Office of Continuing Dental Education.
Standards & Policies
Extension
In the event that the participant would like to remain for an additional advanced training, the participant can submit an application for an extension to the Admissions Committee. If approved, the participant can remain in the program for an additional fee.
International Student Admissions Standards
International students who require J-1 visa sponsorship to attend the University of Maryland must demonstrate English proficiency and financial responsibility before the Office of International Services (OIS) can issue the appropriate visa document for the program of study.
English Proficiency
International students requiring visa sponsorship from the Office of International Services (OIS) must demonstrate English proficiency. Proficiency is most often verified through the TOEFL or IELTS English Language Proficiency tests. For students whose native language is English, the TOEFL requirement may be waived.
Financial Responsibility
International students who require visa sponsorship must ensure they have sufficient funding to cover the cost of the program and living expenses while in Baltimore. Financial responsibility may be proven by a variety of methods. These include the following:
- Personal or family funds
- Government or international organization sponsorship
The documentation must state the name of the person or organization that will sponsor the student and specify the amount of financial support provided to the student.
If using personal or family funds, a bank statement from within the past six months must be provided. Additionally, if the applicant is receiving financial support from a friend or family member, that person must also write a letter specifying the exact amount of funding he or she will provide during the program.
The expenses of a married student are considerably more than that of a single student. In addition to funds for his or her own expenses, the married student must show an additional $5,000 per year for each dependent. A dependent is classified as a spouse and/or children under the age of 21.
Prior to processing visa paperwork, the OIS requires evidence of the minimum financial support amount committed to the applicant's education.
Health Insurance
Health Insurance is required for all University of Maryland students. The applicant must prove that he or she has coverage equivalent to the University of Maryland’s minimum requirements, or purchase the policy offered by the University of Maryland to all students.
Cancellation policy
To participate in this program, you must be pre-registered with the Office of Continuing Dental Education. No refunds of any tuition paid will be made after the program has started.
Contact Information
For application inquiries, please contact:
Keith Groves, DMin, MPC
Executive Director of Continuing Education
University of Maryland School of Dentistry
650 West Baltimore Street, Suite 6207
Baltimore, MD 21201
Email: kgroves@umaryland.edu
Michelle Howell, BS
Associate Director of Continuing Education
University of Maryland School of Dentistry
650 West Baltimore Street, Suite 6207
Baltimore, MD 21201
Email: mhowell@umaryland.edu
For program inquiries, please contact:
Jeffery Price, DDS, MS
Clinical Professor
Director of Oral Radiology, and Chair Co-Director of the Division of Artificial Intelligence Research
University of Maryland School of Dentistry
650 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Telephone: 410-706-7627
Email: jbprice@umaryland.edu
Ahmed S. Sultan, BDS, PhD
Assistant Professor, Director, Advanced Program in OMP, Co-Director of the Division of Artificial Intelligence Research
University of Maryland School of Dentistry
650 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Telephone: 410-706-6841
Email: asultan1@umaryland.edu
