Byrd-Tilson-Walker Residents Day Program

The history of the Byrd-Tilson-Walker Residents Day Program dates back to approximately 1980, when rotating seminars were established between the Baylor College of Dentistry and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Under the leadership of program directors Dr. Byrd and Dr. Hugh Tilson, these early seminars fostered an enduring tradition of education, collaboration, and camaraderie among Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency programs.

In 1987, the Residents Program became part of the annual meeting of the Southwest Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (SWSOMS), held each spring. Since that time, the program has provided residents with an important forum to present contemporary, state-of-the-art approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery conditions.

Over the years, the program has welcomed residents from numerous OMS training programs, including Baylor College of Dentistry; the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. The San Antonio Military Medical Center Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency, representing BAMC, Lackland, and Joint Base Fort Sam Houston, was later added, along with the University of Arizona College of Medicine Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency.

In 2012, the Robert V. Walker, DDS Outstanding Resident Presentation Award was established to recognize exceptional resident presentations and honor Dr. Walker’s many contributions to the specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. In 2015, the SWSOMS Board of Directors officially incorporated Dr. Walker’s name into the program, creating the Byrd-Tilson-Walker Residents Day Program in recognition of his distinguished career, lifelong dedication to the specialty, and lasting influence on generations of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

More than four decades after its beginnings, the Byrd-Tilson-Walker Residents Day Program continues to represent the spirit of collaboration and excellence upon which it was founded. It remains a valued tradition of the SWSOMS annual meeting, bringing together residents and faculty to share knowledge, advance surgical education, and celebrate the future of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.