Sir, having come to the end of Year 1 DCT in oral and maxillofacial surgery, I would like to reflect on what a valuable experience it has been.

Coming out of foundation training it was difficult to know if I'd made the right decision to abandon my newly developed and (very nearly) honed skills in general practice to venture into the unknown world of maxfax, especially with the threat of 'deskilling' on the horizon.

However, despite this being a common concern voiced by many of my peers who chose to progress into practice, what I found was quite the opposite; my skillset has vastly expanded in a way which I feel will be invaluable in whatever career path I eventually pursue.

I chose DCT1 in OMFS to improve my oral surgery techniques, widen my knowledge of the management of medically compromised patients and get exposure to facial trauma and disease – reasons I'm sure are generic amongst other trainees in similar posts.

As it turned out, this was just a small part of what I was to gain. My ability to cope with and perform in stressful situations was tested right from the first day on call, where I learned that prioritisation and time management would be key.

My communication skills blossomed. I began to more fully appreciate the value of effective teamwork, whether between members of my own department, doctors from other specialities, ward staff or the A&E department. Finding myself in new and varied settings made me tailor my approach to patient management according to the situation.

One aspect that I feel particularly grateful for is the knowledge that I will have the confidence and ability to manage more cases independently should I return to practice.

Having been on the receiving end of a number of questionable referrals and patients sent directly to the emergency department I know how frustrating it can be when something could have been dealt with more appropriately in practice. The thought of how some of my consultants would react would certainly make me think twice before submitting a referral in future!

While many remain of the opinion that maxfax is not relevant to dentistry, I would strongly argue the contrary.

I would encourage anyone contemplating a post in the specialty to seize the opportunity. I feel it has provided me with all the tools I might need to become a good clinician in whatever field I find myself. Not only that, I have had my eyes opened to the big wide world outside of the dental surgery where life or death situations are a daily occurrence.

As I go in to my second year of OMFS Dental Core training, I hope to continue to build to skills I have developed, and look forward to where it may lead me.