About Us

The Southern California Academy of Oral pathology was founded in 1956 by six dedicated dental practitioners.  They include Dr. Leo J. Fogel, a general dentist practicing for many years in Santa Monica.  Also Dr R. LaVerne Fowkes, another general dentist well known and respected in Beverly Hills.  Their immediate family was very active in clinical dentist at USC for many years.  An oral surgeon in Beverly Hills also helped found the academy, Dr. William Kaplan who taught exodontias to junior dental students at USC.  Another founder, Dr Joseph Kunin an oral surgeon in private practice in Baldwin Hills helped initiate the Physical Evaluation course for the OMS residents at LA County General Hospital.  Yet another founder, Dr Marsh Robinson, was the initiator of the oral surgery program at USC.  Many of his residents continued to contribute to the SCAOP over the years including names like Dr. Ross Prout and Dr. Jack Lytle.  Another instrumental founder of the academy was Dr. (Spiro) James Vamvas, a private practice oral surgeon in Huntington Park for many years. He has made several contributions to the SCAOP as well as the Southern California Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons including their Logo.Despite the varying backgrounds of these founders, they all shared a common interest in teaching and sharing knowledge with their buddies.  That is essentially what brought them together to form the SCAOP.  The evolution of training oral pathology at USC also provided a need for further education in the area of oral pathology and this also stimulated the founding of the academy.

Dr. Al Abrams and Dr. Ray Melrose started an annual CPC (clinical pathology conference) in the 1970's that was soon added to the meeting roster for the SCAOP.  The CPC is structured such that typically omfs residents from surrounding omfs programs are provided with a brief case history and clinical photos.  From this information, the residents are asked to provide an oral pathology workup that provides a differential diagnosis and a brief explanation on case management typically starting with suggestions on what additional information may be needed including any further imaging and lab work-up, and then how they would proceed with a biopsy and surgical management for a given case.  Their presentation is followed by the pathologist who provided the case, with a definitive diagnosis given as well as subsequent management of the case.  Generally speaking, this process of case work-up from a clinical standpoint helps all in attendance with case management strategies in their private offices.