The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon-Scientist Career Pathway in the United States: Why Mentorship Matters at Every Stage.

PURPOSE:Surgeon-scientists have played a critical role in advancing understanding of human disease and improving patient care. Despite this legacy, the surgeon-scientist pathway in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) is increasingly vulnerable. For example, among 163 dentist-scientists funded as National Institutes of Health (NIH) principal investigators between 2003 and 2011, only a small fraction were OMFS faculty. This article discusses contemporary challenges facing OMFS surgeon-scientists and proposes a mentorship-based framework to support trainees across the career continuum. APPROACH:Drawing on published literature, workforce data, and the authors' collective experiences as mentors and trainees, we examine barriers encountered by clinician- and surgeon-scientists in the United States. These perspectives are integrated with an illustrative example of an OMFS surgeon-scientist training pathway to highlight practical considerations and potential solutions. KEY OBSERVATIONS:Major challenges include inadequate financial support, limited protected research time, inconsistent access to high-quality mentorship, and increasing trainee disillusionment. These factors contribute to attrition at multiple transition points. In response, we outline a longitudinal mentorship model designed to support OMFS surgeon-scientists from early exposure in dental training through residency, postdoctoral training, and early- to mid-career faculty development. CONCLUSIONS:Financial pressures, structural constraints, and mentorship gaps continue to threaten the sustainability of the OMFS surgeon-scientist workforce. Early recruitment, combined with coordinated and longitudinal mentorship, is essential. Effective mentors must advocate for trainees within their institutions, facilitate access to diverse funding mechanisms, and engage national organizations to help stabilize and grow the OMFS surgeon-scientist pipeline.