EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS
Newly graduated dental residents transition to practice during COVID-19 pandemic
During any ordinary year, the ECU School of Dental Medicine’s residency programs provide a rigorous learning experience for dental school graduates.
This year, those residents earned invaluable experience serving during the COVID-19 pandemic. They partnered with faculty dentists to care for patients in clinics across the state and in hospital settings.
“Our resident doctors and their dental assistants day in and day out, and despite the risk to themselves, provided compassionate care for the hundreds and hundreds of people who needed and sought our help,” said Dr. David MacPherson, assistant clinical professor and director of the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency program. “We contributed to the overall effort as we kept a great number of patients out of local emergency departments by caring for them here at the School of Dental Medicine.”
Since March, the face of dentistry has shifted and required constant adjustment at every level—yet the need for care has not diminished.
“Throughout this unsettling time, our GPR residents have not hesitated to support ECU’s mission of service.” said Dr. Stephanie Ledbetter, clinical assistant professor and director of the General Practice Residency (GPR) program.
Three residents from these programs who received their certificates in June reflected on their experiences during the pandemic—and how they have gone on to serve patients in offices and practices in the Carolinas.
Dr. Nicholas Allen
SoDM Residency
GPR, Vidant Medical Center
Dental School
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, School of Dental Medicine
Current Location
Private practice in West Union, S.C.
As a dental resident watching a pandemic unfold, Dr. Nicholas Allen found himself in the extraordinary position of seeing some familiar aspects of his profession change before his eyes.
“One of the most difficult things during the early stages of the pandemic was the constant change in scheduling and protocols as well as the constant influx of new information about the virus, which made every day going into work feel like stepping into the unknown
The large scale of changes in daily patient care were unnerving at first, he added, but the flow of patients stabilized and a new routine and protocol for personal protective equipment (PPE) became more commonplace as time went by.
That’s when Allen’s sense of service took over.
“I believe that my role as a dental provider was important within eastern North Carolina during the pandemic to help mitigate the flow of dental patients into the emergency room at a time when hospital bed space was and continues to be sparse and very, very valuable,” he said. “Despite having some role of importance during this time, I cannot even begin to think of how many important roles were played during this time by people other than doctors.”
Ledbetter said that level of understanding has been passed from the 2020 graduates to the new class of GPR residents.
“The Class of 2020’s commitment to treat those in need during this pandemic was remarkable and is evidence of their compassion and desire to help those in our community,” she said. “As a new program director, I was impressed with their adaptability, courage and empathy. The Class of 2021 GPR residents also show the same dedication to service, as they continue their predecessors’ efforts in both our clinic and hospital.”
Now an associate dentist at a private practice in West Union, S.C., Allen has a deeper appreciation for what he has experienced and witnessed as a resident at ECU.
“My experience at ECU helped me grow as a dental practitioner in both patient care experience and dental knowledge,” he said. “The ability to adapt to changing environments is extremely important in the health-care field, which may not have been tested as vigorously had it not been for the pandemic.”
Dr. DeVonna Purnell
SoDM Residency
AEGD
Dental School
University of Illinois–Chicago College of Dentistry
Current Location
Private practice in Greensboro, N.C.
As the world of dentistry changed around her, Dr. DeVonna Purnell gathered her spirit and determination to face the challenge ahead.
“Learning that many dental offices in the area were temporarily closing and that our sole focus at ECU SoDM had shifted to emergencies only was quite the experience,” she said. “I quickly rose to the challenge, and within days, my schedule was filled with patients from near and far who presented in pain and in need of urgent treatment.”
Along with her desire to help patients, Purnell and other providers had to take into account the new PPE required to do their jobs, as well as evolving safety protocols created to keep everyone in clinics safe.
“I had to be vigilant about keeping up with these ever-changing protocols to educate myself and my patients,” she said. “Through it all, at the end of each day, I left the clinic with a sense of pride knowing that I was able to continue to fulfill my professional obligations and deliver high-quality care during a pandemic.”
Teamwork, communication and resilience—key factors in health care—contributed to a once-in-a-lifetime residency experience for Purnell and her colleagues. The situation cemented health care as a team effort as well.
“This public health crisis has further verified dentists’ crucial role as health-care providers,” she said. “We are one big health-care team. My residency experience at ECU SoDM has definitely aided in my growth and confidence as a dental provider; I feel confident in my abilities to lead my team and provide comprehensive oral health care to my patients.”
Dr. David Morrison
SoDM Residency
AEGD
Dental School
ECU School of Dental Medicine
Current Location
Wilkes Public Health Dental Clinic, North Wilkesboro, N.C.
When the pandemic revealed its potential to be a long-term problem, Dr. David Morrison knew the residents were preparing for a unique situation. Limiting care to emergency cases didn’t limit their experience.
“While my co-residents and I were only treating patients with emergency/urgent treatment needs, our schedules were just as busy as they were prior to the pandemic,” he said. Some patients were traveling three to four hours to be treated in our clinic because there were no local practices open. Knowing that we were able to be there and take care of these patients was very rewarding.”
Being part of the front line in dentistry gave Morrison a renewed sense of duty and a better understanding of his place as a dentist in the state’s health care delivery system. Dentistry, he said, plays a vital role in that system and is evolving toward a more interdisciplinary approach alongside other specialties.
In addition to another educational perspective, having a unique vantage point during part of the evolution during a public health crisis reinforced Morrison’s dream to align with the dental school’s mission of serving North Carolinians who most need care.
“Having grown up in a rural community, my goal has always been to stay in North Carolina and practice in a rural setting,” he said. “My education and training at ECU were definitely instrumental in helping prepare me for this next chapter of my career. While a lifetime of learning remains to be done, I firmly believe that my experiences as a dental student and resident provided me with an outstanding foundation.”