Greenville mayor urges dental students to impact patients’ lives

Greenville Mayor P.J. Connelly issued a challenge to students during the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine’s 16th annual Fall Convocation on Aug. 17 at the East Carolina Heart Institute.

Greenville Mayor P.J. Connelly delivered the keynote address during the ECU dental school’s fall convocation on Aug. 17. (Photos by Jon Jones)

Connelly, whose father was a dentist, urged the students to make a difference in the lives of patients who cross their paths by forging meaningful bonds with them.

“My father believed that every patient who walked through his door deserved to be treated with dignity,” he said. “You’re going into a profession that gives you an incredible opportunity. Yes, you can build a successful career, and yes, you can provide a great life for yourself and your family. But you also have an opportunity every single day to change someone’s life. Never lose sight of that.”

His father’s career also instilled values that would shape Connelly’s own future.

“Dentistry has played such an important role in my family’s story,” he said, before sharing some of his experience becoming a professional baseball player before eventually becoming mayor after several other posts. He said that his father was respected in his Wisconsin community not only because he was a good dentist, but because of how he treated people along with his work ethic.

“He built relationships with generations of families,” he said. “I watched how hard he worked to build his practice. I watched the hours that he put in. I watched him answer emergency calls. I watched how he treated his patients. And I watched how he built relationships throughout our community. He wasn’t telling me how to be successful — he was showing me.”

During the event, faculty, staff and students also welcomed the Class of 2030 and celebrated the school’s recent successes.

Dr. Greg Chadwick, dean of the School of Dentistry, and Dr. Margaret Wilson, vice dean and interim assistant dean for admissions, also highlighted successes over the past year.

“It’s an exciting day for all of us, but it’s particularly exciting for the Class of 2030,” Wilson said. “It’s the first day of dental school. We are so pleased that you said ‘yes’ to ECU, and the future of our profession is very bright. We saw in you your passion and potential, and we wanted to play a role in your future. You’ve joined a school that’s already steeped in history, discovery, vision and mission, and especially service. You’re already a part of our story.”

Wilson also marked the school’s growth during the past year.

“We’ve welcomed 50 new faculty and staff members, 28 new residents as well as the 53 new students,” she said, in addition to new associate deans, department and division chairs and other faculty appointments.

Chadwick noted the importance of the annual convocation tradition.

“It’s a significant day in the life of our school,” he said. “We were given the opportunity to create a mission and a vision and develop a dental school that would achieve that mission and vision. We’re still on that path today. We may tweak the wording every now and then, but the meaning of our mission, vision and values have remained firm, and I believe that’s why most of us are here today — to improve the health of the people of North Carolina.”

Chadwick told part of the school’s story by the numbers.

“In the past 16 years, we have graduated 12 classes. We have 608 alumni and we’ve had several national student and research fellows. We have graduates who are continuing in residency training; some of our alumni are serving as directors of federally qualified health centers,” he said. “We’re continuing to fulfill our promises to the people of North Carolina.”

ECU dental students gathered in the auditorium at the East Carolina Heart Institute ahead of fall convocation on Aug. 17.

Chadwick said that since opening their doors, the school’s clinics across the state have provided care for more than 119,000 patients, from all 100 North Carolina counties. Close to 87% of the school’s graduates are practicing in North Carolina. From the Class of 2015 to the Class of 2030, students and graduates represent 90 of the state’s counties.

A cornerstone tradition of convocation each year is the announcement of the latest recipient of the David Lawson Sherrill Staff Excellence Award. Dr. Phylicia Bridgers, director of counseling and student development, earned the recognition and was presented the award by Chadwick and Deborah Himmelfarb, director of course management. The award honors above-and-beyond service to the school and memorializes Sherrill, one of its first and most influential early staff members.

During the event, students and staff welcomed the Class of 2030 and shared words of encouragement and advice.

Dr. Maggie Pafford, division director of predoctoral dental education, encouraged the class to envision a person who helped them get to the point where they are today, “someone who believed in you when you weren’t quite sure you believed in yourself.” She encouraged them to embark upon their dental school experience with gratitude.

“As you begin this journey, I encourage you to make gratitude a practice,” she said. “Pause and remember the people who helped you get here. Remember why you started. At ECU, success isn’t simply about what we accomplish individually; it is about what we accomplish together, who we serve and the difference we make in the lives of others.”

Nina Mann, 8×20 preclinical course director and staff representative of the Dean’s Executive Council, told the new class that their journey will be filled with learning about dentistry and themselves.

“You will learn about the strength and the resilience you have within you, and you’ll learn the true meaning of service — giving more than you receive, showing up for others and dedicating yourself to becoming the best practitioner and person that you can be,” she said.

Bailey Gentle, a member of the Class of 2028 and president of Dental Student Government, said convocation marks the official start for the newest class and the home stretch for the Class of 2027, noting that every class is on a different but similar journey.

“The D1s are just beginning, the D2s are persevering, the D3s are putting what we’ve learned into practice,” he said, “and the D4s are preparing to take it all into the communities that they’ll serve.”

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