UIC College of Dentistry, Mile Square Health Center launch new residency

The UIC College of Dentistry has established its seventh academic program, an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency. Accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, the program is a collaborative effort with the UI Health Mile Square Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to serving diverse and underserved communities.

This 12-month residency is designed to develop dentists who demonstrate value-added knowledge across all phases of dentistry while serving as effective coordinators of their patients' total healthcare. Residents will gain experience providing comprehensive dental services to diverse populations, including medically compromised, disabled, pediatric, geriatric and underserved patients, while working in interdisciplinary care settings with non-dental specialties, including behavioral health, family medicine and pediatrics.

Didactic content is primarily taught by UIC College of Dentistry program directors and faculty from the following specialty programs: oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics and endodontics. All clinical training, along with selected didactic lectures, takes place at four Mile Square Health Center clinic sites: Primary and Immediate Care Center in Auburn Gresham, Back of the Yards, L.P Johnson Rockford and South Shore.

"Training dental residents in local communities helps develop clinicians who understand the populations they serve and are equipped to make a meaningful impact," said Dr. Susan Rowan, dean and professor at the UIC College of Dentistry. "Combining community-based clinical experience with rigorous education at a leading dental school, our program prepares residents to deliver compassionate, high-quality care while strengthening communities and improving oral health outcomes."

The collaboration of UIC College of Dentistry and Mile Square Health Center provides a synergistic approach to advanced training in general dentistry. By combining UIC College of Dentistry's innovative and comprehensive academic programming with Mile Square Health Center's interdisciplinary, community-focused healthcare model, the program offers a unique opportunity for residents to expand their clinical experience, strengthen their skills and build confidence beyond predoctoral education.

"As a Teaching Health Center, we are looking forward to adding post-doctoral dental education to our cadre of educational programming at Mile Square," said Dr. Sodabeh Etminan, chief of oral health at Mile Square. "Alongside the College of Dentistry didactics, the Mile Square clinical experience will allow residents to develop their clinical skills in a mission driven setting."

"I am thrilled to be the inaugural program director for the matriculating AEGD class starting next July," said Dr. Kelley McClure, who will lead the program. "Educating residents with the didactic material presented from the UIC College of Dentistry postgraduate specialties and applying that advanced knowledge to patients the residents treat in our community-based clinics will provide a strong foundation for residents to succeed in dentistry."

The residency program is accepting applications for its inaugural class, which will enter July 2027. The Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services provided financial support for the development and planning of this residency program. To learn more, visit https://go.uic.edu/AEGD.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Kelley McClure
[email protected]