Moses Institute
During the years, 1984-1985, Dr. Moses began to formulate a plan for the education of specialty surgeons already trained in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the treatment of Facial Pain and Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction. In those years, Dr. Moses hosted several seminars teaching via didactic as well as "Hands-On" Cadaver TMJ Arthroscopic practice, and Patient Surgery Observational education courses following his introduction with Dr. Ken-Ichiro Murakami and Dr. Bruce Sanders in Santa Monica observing a diagnostic TMJ surgery on a patient at the Mt. Sinai Hospital and developing his own strong clinical practice in the methodology.
After the first symposium in TMJArthrosopy was held in Santa Monica (1986), an International TMJ Arthroscopy Symposium was held in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel hosting early arthroscopic pioneer legends Professor Masatoshi Onishi, and Lanny L. Johnson M.D. Following this memorable and historic meeting, a newly formed group, the American Society of TMJ Arthroscopic Surgery came alive with Dr. Joe McCain as the first president and Dr. Jeffrey Moses as the Secretary. The first 15 members of the field of TMJ Arthrosopic surgery gained great traction with multiple publications and advancement of techniques throughout the USA over the next several years. This number grew to 22 before the majority of members merged their efforts into membership with the American Society of Temporomandibular Surgeons (ASTMJS). Being comprised of mainly open arthroplasty oriented surgeons, ASTMJS was at first skeptical of this minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery, but later embraced this diagnostic and treatment method. In years to follow, some of their International Members formed parallel Societies worldwide.
The Pacific Clinical Research Foundation (estab. 1987 for the mission of "Providing Excellence in Professional Education and Sustainable Charitable Surgical Care") continued these efforts thereafter and formed the Moses Institute for specialty residency, fellowship, and masters certification.
At first this began to take shape as 2 day Arthroscopic and Adjunctive Conservative Management courses with didactic sessions, practical cadaveric practice hands-on sessions and observational "live- surgery " sessions with the hopes to introduce these techniques for the general use within the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Unfortunately, the learning curve of these techniques was very steep and that, combined with the limited insurance reimbursement schedule for the surgery itself led to a stagnation of the anticipated universal spread and acceptance for the procedures.
With minimal formal residency acceptance for CORE training, years passed with the existence of only a few pockets of expert surgeons for which dentists and physicians could refer their patients if they wished this "exclusive" arthroscopic minimally invasive management. A group of these specialists, who attended the annual prestigious American Society of Temporomandibular Joint Surgeons (ASTMJS), got together and decided to attempt remedy this situation.
This solution was to be comprehensive in nature and encompassed all successfully proven techniques of surgical management ranging from the minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery to open arthroplasty as well as prosthetic total joint replacement surgery. Hopes were that, by means of training national and international specialists with a strong commitment to investment of required hours of training, we could re-establish the surgical field of TMJ Arthroscopic Surgery back to its rightful seat of preliminary consideration for the minimally invasive management of progressive temporomandibular dysfunction within the field of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Internationally known experts were gathered to present four, focused, three day intensive "TMJ Surgery Mini-Residencies" inclusive of extensive hands-on cadaveric specimen demonstration and practice surgery sessions complete with certified continuing education units were given. These courses evolved into the current TMJ Surgery Mini-Residency which is now held 4 times per year with a requirement of 80 CE hours of intensive hands-on cadaveric and didactic education for completion provided at first by the Pacific Clinical Research Foundation  and then, later, by the University of Maryland in conjunction with the TMJed, L.L.C.
In addition, the graduated residents of this and other intensive hands-on cadaveric training by Dr. Moses have been given the opportunity to participate in a three tier TMJ surgical training fellowship. The first tier requires, in addition to many hours of didactic training, open arthroplasty surgeries, 20 Arthroscopic surgery Monitored Cases. This identifies the professional surgeon as having completed a Residency level training in TMJ arthroscopic surgery. The second tier requires 30 additional advanced multiport arthroscopic surgeries in addition to cases of open arthroplasty which identifies the specialist surgeon as having completed their Fellowship level of training. The final tier requires 10 total joint reconstruction surgical procedures and identifies the surgeon as having completed their "Masters" level of training.
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