Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a unique surgical specialty that sits astride the base professions of medicine and dentistry. In some nations, it is a specialty of dentistry; in others, a specialty of medicine, and in some countries, both medical and dental qualifications are necessary. Specialist oral and maxillofacial surgeons use their medical and dental expertise to diagnose and treat a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries, and congenital defects affecting the mouth, teeth, jaws, face, head and neck. The varied background and training of oral and maxillofacial surgeons can lead to difficulties identifying qualified professionals and to address this uncertainty, the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (IAOMS) appointed a Steering Committee to investigate the potential for an international certification standard.

Before and after the formal establishment of the IBCSOMS, much needed to be done to determine how it would function after conjecture became reality. The IBCSOMS benefited enormously through the contributions made by the Steering Committee, but we would not have made such rapid progress were it not for the intersection of career paths. In a fortuitous coincidence,Ms. Cheryl Mounts, was planning her retirement from the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery after 19 years of inspired service as its Executive Vice President.

The IBCSOMS hopes to conduct our first examinations in 2015. When this occurs, the definition and execution of an international standard of practice will complete a powerful initiative first undertaken by the IAOMS involving the development of training standards and educational programs to meet these standards. The efforts of both organizations, the IAOMS and IBCSOMS, serve to improve the welfare of the global community by elevating the standards of the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery.