Bon Secours St Mary's Hospital of Richmond

St. Mary’s Hospital of Richmond and Bon Secours Health System is a busy, community-based hospital system that emphasizes quality patient care, education and research. The educational philosophy stresses case-based learning and is designed for trainees to enter community practice. The clinical program is supported by a well-rounded didactic curriculum delivered in a seminar format which is designed to meet the unique needs of infants, children and adolescents and including those children with special healthcare needs. Residents are a part of the medical team in the hospital and will receive training in the operating and emergency rooms, pediatric anesthesia and sedation, as well as pediatric medicine on the wards, intensive care unit and community locations. 

During the first year of the residency, training focuses on comprehensive clinical care for the child. This includes experience with basic restorative procedures and employing both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic behavior management. Residents will be introduced to mild, moderate and deep sedation, the intensive care unit, the operating room and will rotate on a 4 week Pediatric Medicine, a 4 week anesthesia rotation and with the developmental clinic. In addition, residents will provide after-hours emergency care for oral/facial trauma and infection. Two business administration days and extra-mural community service opportunities will be available in the first year.

The second year of the program builds the resident’s confidence to assess children’s medical or special needs and how the pediatric dentist plays a role in the overall health of the child and leadership in the healthcare community. The second year includes serving as the program’s representative for the consultative service to the hospital and medical clinics for oral health issues. The resident will be expected to be competent addressing oral health needs for those children who are admitted to the hospital and/or asked to address children’s oral health issues in medical clinics. Second year residents spend a week on a non-dental emergency room rotation. An elective week and extra-mural community experiences will also be available in the second year. Increasing the trainee’s health literacy is gained through completion of a research project. 

Curriculum

The clinical program includes comprehensive didactic and clinical cores. Seminars consisting of case based learning are implemented to provide an understanding on such topics as: behavior management, sedation, pharmacology, general anesthesia, dental care in the hospital, treating children with special needs, orthodontics and growth and development, oral pathology, endodontics, periodontics, esthetic dentistry, materials, trauma management, speech, practice management, developmental psychology, physical diagnosis, research design and biostatistics, literature review and analysis, prevention, infant oral health care. Teaching opportunities and engagement with the nursing and medical students will be available.

Program Stipend and Tuition

First year stipend is $63,569. Second-year is $65,341. Fringe benefits include medical insurance, malpractice insurance, eighteen days of paid time off, and travel allowance to the AAPD Annual Session for second-year residents.The ABPD Qualifying Examination is paid for by the program for all second-year residents. There is no tuition.

Facilities

• St. Mary’s Hospital of Richmond
• Bon Secours Health System

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the following requirements to be considered for admission: 

1. Must have a D.M.D. or D.D.S. degree or its equivalent from an ADA recognized School of Dentistry 
2. Successful completion of Part I of the United States National Dental Boards at the time of application and successful completion of Part II of the United States National Dental Boards by the July 1st program start date.
3. The Intergrated National Board of Dental Examination (INBDE) is also accepted.  Our office must have the results of this examination by December 20.
4. PASS and MATCH applications
5. Interview following invitation

Program Strengths

1. Strong didactic and clinical foundation in pediatric dentistry with emphasis on pediatric medicine, hospital dentistry, interceptive orthodontics and sedation 
2. Wealth of knowledge in medicine and special needs patient care 
3. Medically diverse patient base affording extensive clinical experience 
4. Close working relationship with all hospital/medical services and administration
5. Office operations are that of a community pediatric dental practice

Program Faculty

•  John Unkel D.D.S., M.D., M.P.A.* Medical Director and Residency Program Director, Pediatric Dentistry
• Jillian Cortez, BSHCA* Residency Program Administrator
• Fatu Bangura, M.D.* Pediatric Anesthesiology 
• Elizabeth J. Berry, D.D.S, MSD, MPH*, Pediatric Dentistry
• Ashley Clark* Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
• Gustav Horsey D.D.S., M.S.* Orthodontics
• Sarah Koury, D.M.D* Pediatric Dentistry
• Michael Miller, D.D.S.* Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 
• Michael Miller, M.D.* Pediatric Critical Care
• Karen S. McAndrew, D.M.D., M.S.* Prosthodontics
• Shital Patel D.D.S.* Pediatric Dentistry
• William P. Piscitelli, D.D.S., M.S.* Pediatric Dentistry
• Katherine Turlington, M.D.* Pediatric Medicine & Hospitalist
• Isaac Wornam M.D.* Plastic Surgery, Craniofacial Team Leader

*Board certified 
+Board eligible

Official NBDE scores are required by close of match application date.

Uploading an image of diploma is sufficient, no notarized copy is needed.

The Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INDBE) is accepted. Our office must have the results of this examination by December 20.