Assistant / Associate / Professor - Director of the Roger Wood Clinic - General Practice - School of Dentistry

Duties & Responsibilities

The VCU School of Dentistry seeks a compassionate, accomplished, and collaborative full-time faculty member to serve as Director of the Roger Wood Clinic. This is a teaching and research faculty position with a strong clinical mission focused on improving oral health care for individuals with special healthcare needs. The Director will provide visionary leadership in the education, clinical care, and scholarly advancement of Special Care Dentistry while fostering an inclusive, patient-centered learning environment.

The successful candidate will lead and expand educational programs that prepare future oral healthcare professionals to provide high-quality, evidence-based care for patients with physical, intellectual, developmental, behavioral, medical, or emotional challenges. The position includes didactic and clinical teaching, curriculum development, course directorship, mentoring, and the promotion of scholarship and research that advances the field of Special Care Dentistry. Participation in intramural faculty practice is encouraged.

• Provide visionary leadership in the education, clinical care, and scholarly advancement of Special Care Dentistry
• Foster an inclusive, patient-centered learning environment
• Lead and expand educational programs that prepare future oral healthcare professionals to provide high-quality, evidence-based care for patients with special healthcare needs
• Teach clinical and didactic courses to predoctoral dental students, undergraduate dental hygiene students, and postdoctoral residents with an emphasis on the care of patients with special healthcare needs
• Engage in scholarly activities commensurate with their academic appointment and level of experience
• Contribute to the Department of General Dentistry, the School of Dentistry, and Virginia Commonwealth University by serving on committees and task forces as requested
• Participate in dentistry-related community service activities

Required Qualifications

• DDS or DMD Degree
• GPR or hospital-AEGD experience or other applicable specialty certification, including Pediatric Dentistry
• Must be eligible for a dental license in Virginia
• VCU Health System credentialing is required for hospital privileges
• Experience treating adult patients with diverse special needs
• Must have the desire to mentor future oral health professionals
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to change and embrace modern technology
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to and participate in a humanistic environment of learning
• Demonstrated ability, or acquire and develop such ability, to incorporate adult learning theory, evidence-based oral health care, innovation in student learning, and critical thinking
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills
• Significant experience treating patients with diverse special needs, understanding of different disabilities and ability to adapt treatment plans based on individual needs
• Additional training or certification in special care dentistry through organizations like the Special Care Dentistry Association (SCDA)