Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery House Surgeons 2026

About the Company Waikato Hospital, located in Hamilton, is a prominent Level-1 trauma center and one of New Zealand's largest tertiary teaching hospitals. With over 600 inpatient beds and 22 operating theatres, we serve a catchment population of approximately one million as part of Te Whatu Ora's Te Manawa Taki region. Our Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) provides comprehensive tertiary services to the Central North Island. About the Role We are looking for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery House Surgeons to join our dedicated team. You will be part of a collaborative group of four House Surgeons, consisting of three dentally qualified and one medically qualified professional. Our department places a strong emphasis on clinical teaching and offers ample opportunities for our House Surgeons to enhance their clinical skills through hands-on experience in clinics and theatres, as well as on-call opportunities and specialized courses. We are committed to helping you develop your oral surgery skills, providing you with a solid foundation to safely perform surgical extractions, biopsies, and suturing of the oral cavity and face, among other minor OMS procedures relevant to dental practice and future postgraduate training. Additionally, we will support you in managing medically complex patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. As early career dentists, we recognize the importance of progression and upskilling. Our OMS department actively encourages our House Surgeons to engage in research, with opportunities for presentation at hospital dental conferences, OMS conferences, and for academic publication. We also support our House Surgeons in completing their RACDS primary examinations. For those interested in advancing their careers in OMS, there are opportunities to apply for Senior House Surgeon and OMS Registrar positions, as well as support for medical degree applications. We provide financial assistance for sitting the RACDS Primary Exams, IV Sedation courses, and conference presentations for House Surgeons contributing to the department. Key Responsibilities Our department covers all aspects of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, focusing on: - Management of both dental and facial trauma - Dentoalveolar surgery, including third molar extractions and removal of impacted or supernumerary teeth - Exposure and bonding of impacted teeth - Dental and craniofacial implant placement for oncology patients - Management of benign pathology - Dentofacial deformity correction surgery - TMJ surgery, including arthroscopy and total joint replacement Unique to Waikato Hospital, we manage head and neck oncology cases and are the only OMS unit in the country that conducts its own microvascular free flap reconstruction. This provides excellent teaching opportunities for House Surgeons, including: - Comprehensive work-up of patients diagnosed with oral cancer - Management of oral cancer patients within a multidisciplinary team context - Biopsy of suspicious oral lesions - Peri-operative management of oncology and microvascular free flap reconstruction patients - Routine oncological surveillance of cancer patients In addition to the above, our unit's acute work includes managing facial infections, ward inpatients, and emergency department presentations. We offer excellent senior support, with three Registrars assisting our House Surgeon team to ensure adequate supervision and teaching. Teaching and Development We emphasize teaching, clinical governance, and research within our department. Weekly teaching sessions (1-2 hours) include: - Radiology meetings focusing on x-ray interpretation - Case-based pathology teaching from a clinical pathologist - Morbidity and mortality meetings - Trauma meetings discussing surgical approaches and patient management - Maxillofacial and dental teaching topics presented by consultants, registrars, and House Surgeons - Complex case discussions and guest lectures - Multidisciplinary meetings with other specialties You will also collaborate with registered specialists in Paediatric, Orthodontic, Prosthodontic, and Special Care Dentistry, who provide care to patients with medical complexity or disabilities. Our team includes three Maxillofacial Technicians who offer additional support and teaching to our House Surgeons. Outpatient clinics are held daily, and regular theatre sessions are scheduled to provide surgical exposure and teaching opportunities, including suturing and extractions. Minor Operating Procedures (MOPS) clinics are conducted regularly to reinforce surgical skills. We look forward to welcoming talented individuals who are eager to contribute to our team and grow in their careers in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Waikato Hospital.