Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program
Children's Hospital Colorado
13123 E. 16th Ave., B240
Aurora, Colorado 80045
Phone: (720) 777-4044
Fax: (720) 777-7239
Email: chaitanya.puranik@childrenscolorado.org or chelsea.dickerson@childrenscolorado.org
Program Length and Number of Positions
The residency is a 24-month program commencing in June (third Monday) of each year. A maximum of 9 new positions are offered each year.
Program Type
Hospital-based certificate program
Application
The deadline for the PASS application submissions is September 1 of the year preceding matriculation. The Program requires a portrait photograph 2X2 (JEPG format), CV/resume, and a $50.00 supplemental program fee by September 1. All supplemental materials must be submitted directly to the program. Please make the payment at the online portal: https://chcodentistry-pp-prtl.spectrumretailnet.com/PP?PAGE=GUESTPAY
Please add the dental account number as “CHCODENT” Correspondence regarding application and admissions procedures should be addressed to: Dickerson, Chelsea, Children’s Hospital Colorado, 13123 E. 16th Ave., B240, Aurora, CO 80045; (720) 777 4044; chelsea.dickerson@childrenscolorado.org
*All supplemental material must be received by September 1
Interview invitations will be sent in the 4th week of September. The program interviews will be conducted in two rounds and spots for each will be granted on a first come first serve basis. The first round of interviews will be held 4th Monday of October while the second round of interviews will be held on 2nd Monday of November, each year.
Description
Our two-year, hospital-based Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program combines intensive clinical training with comprehensive didactic instruction related to pediatric dentistry. The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Individuals who have completed it will meet the advanced education eligibility requirements of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD). A Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry is awarded upon successful completion of the program. The program is designed to fully prepare residents for specialty practice, as well as to provide educational opportunities for those who desire to pursue a teaching or research career in pediatric dentistry.
Our residency program is located at the Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO. Children’s Hospital Colorado ranks among the “Top 10” nationally in the 2022-2023 U.S. News & World Report survey. Our excellent professional staff as well as a large patient pool provides an enriching learning environment. The Dental Clinic is a modern 20-chair clinic in a 19,000-square foot facility with the necessary equipment to provide efficient dental treatment. It is located at the Children’s Hospital Health Pavilion as part of a multidisciplinary care facility. Pediatric dental care is also provided at the North Campus Dental Center (Broomfield, CO) thereby serving patients and families from seven mountain states.
Externship
The virtual externship for interested candidates will be held on second Monday of May and June from 6-7PM MST. The program offers limited in-person externships (10-15 spots) from March to May of each year. In addition to participating in didactic seminars, our externs get an opportunity to shadow our program faculty and residents pediatric, orthodontic, and in patient clinics including operating rooms. Please reach out to Ms. Chelsea Dickerson (chelsea.dickerson@childrenscolorado.org) to sign up for virtual or in-person externships.
We only provide externship opportunities to third- or fourth-year students from doctoral and advanced standing programs or dental graduates. For in person externship, you will need to provide:
- Your updated CV/resume
- Letter of intent
- An endorsement email directly from pediatric dentistry program faculty from your school.
- A recent head shot photograph.
Curriculum
The comprehensive curriculum offers didactic, simulated, and patient care opportunities for all residents to develop their knowledge, critical thinking, diagnostic abilities, and clinical skills. Additional experiences in interdisciplinary medical-dental patient care provide residents a deeper understanding of comprehensive holistic care. The clinical curriculum is designed to further the residents’ ability to work as independently as a competent pediatric dentist and apply various soft skills such as effective communication with patient and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. Additionally, residents will learn to work with consultants and clinicians in other dental specialties and in medical or allied health fields.
The didactic program includes selected topics in the basic sciences such as relevant anatomy, histology, embryology, physiology, pathology, statistics, public health, and research methodology. Weekly lectures, seminars, case-studies, critical appraisals, and topic-specific journal clubs are provided on vital pediatric dental topics. These vital pediatric topics include child development, behavior management, orthodontic topics, preventive care, cariology, interceptive orthodontics, oral and intranasal conscious sedation, emergency preparedness, general anesthesia, ethics, naso-alveolar molding (NAM), laser dentistry, craniofacial syndromes, case management for patients with complex medical needs, and evidence-based dentistry. These educational sessions are provided in variety of learning formats including case-based reviews, patient-based simulations, problem-based learning, flipped classroom, and triple-jump assessments to prepare residents to critically evaluate patient findings, plan treatment and predict prognosis of care using evidence-based knowledge. Residents also get the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills while teaching predoctoral students in preclinical and clinical courses.
Program Stipend and Tuition
The program stipend adjusts yearly. The 2024-2025 stipend for first-year resident is $62,575 while the second-year resident stipend is $65,285. Our residents are also eligible for the full hospital benefit package (health, dental, and malpractice insurance) including 15 P.T.O days and an incentive bonus.
The program does not require any tuition.
Please contact the program coordinator for any questions at Chelsea.dickerson@childrenscolorado.org.
Facilities
- Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
- Children's Colorado Health Pavilion, Aurora, CO
- North Campus, Broomfield, CO
Admission Requirements
Applicants must fulfill the following requirements to be considered for admission:- Fourth year dental student or graduate of an ADA-accredited dental school-Dental school GPA of 3.4 or higher-Dental school class rank above the 80th percentile (We are aware that some dental schools no longer use rank or report GPA)-Have a letter of recommendation from a pediatric dental faculty and/or pediatric pre-doctoral director
Candidates should submit their NBDE or iNBDE scores to the program before they can be considered for MATCH.
Our program participates in the PASS and MATCH. Applicants are expected to follow policies and rules of each entity when applying to this program. Please review the application procedures on the PASS Website. Our program does not require the Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT) scores but will accept the scores as part of the candidate application. The supplemental application materials that need to be submitted directly to the Program by September 1st are a portrait photo (JPEG format) and an application processing fee of $50.00 (online portal, see information above). After matching, all the incoming residents are required to obtain a Colorado Dental License and National Provider Identifier (NPI).
Most didactic material will be available at no cost. Residents can purchase suggested books and other supplies during their residency including camera (approximate cost: $2500). However, it is not a requirement. Details will be provided during orientation.
Program Strengths
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Flipped classroom and problem-based learning experiences are provided in select courses to further enhance the quality of resident learning.
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Excellent balance between didactic and clinical experiences.
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We provide 230 units of formal didactic instruction per academic year.
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Large patient pool (from seven mountain states) with healthy and special health care needs patients.
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All full-time and adjunct faculty members are Diplomates of the ABPD or a specialty board.
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Excellent faculty-resident ratio (1:2).
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One dental assistant per resident.
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In-depth procedural sedation, emergency, and hospital dentistry training.
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Emergency simulation in the Simulation Lab with a state-of-the-art SimMan (manikin).
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Didactic and clinical experiences in interceptive orthodontics and experiences with craniofacial anomalies.
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Availability of outstanding consultants in all areas of dental and general health care.
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Modern facility with digital integrated medical-dental electronic records (Epic Wisdom®).
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Haiku® secure portal for effective and timely coordination of care with faculty especially during afterhours.
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Availability of Biolase hard tissue laser, Diagnodent™, STA Single Tooth Anesthesia® System, digital radiography, and cone-beam computed tomography images.
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Teaching experience as part of the predoctoral dental program.
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Dedicated faculty mentorship and research project support.
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Residents receive a competitive stipend plus benefits and no tuition cost.
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Modern clinic management with focus on providing excellent care and service.
Program Faculty
Katherine Chin*, DDS, MS, Clinical Associate Professor, Chair, and Clinical Medical Director
Chaitanya Puranik*, BDS, MS, MDentSci, PhD, FAAPD. Associate Professor, Director of Residency Program
Anne Wilson*, DDS, MS, Clinical Professor
Abidin Hakan Tuncer*, DDS, DMD, MPH, FSCD, Clinical Associate Professor
Priya Chandrasekaran*, DDS, Clinical Assistant Professor, Predoctoral Program Director
Paloma Reyes-Nguyen*, DMD, MSD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Assistant Predoctoral Program Director
Lila Ninh*, DDS, Clinical Assistant Professor
Shahbaz Katebzadeh*, DMD, Clinical Assistant Professor
Adjunct Faculty: Pediatric Dentists
Kristin Christiansen*, DDS Joanna Douglass*, BDS, DDS Nicholas DeMeo*, DMD
Meredith Ghivizzani*, DMD, MS
Chelsie Gritzmacher*, DMD
Dan Hoang*, DMD
Derek Kirkham*, DDS
Leslie Murray*, DMD (Laser Specialist)
John Rubenstrunk*, DDS, MS
Anne Shaffer *, DMD
Purvi Shah*, DDS, MS
Elizabeth Shick*, DDS, MPH
Brad Smith*, DDS, MS
Scott Smith*, DDS, MS
Sarah Villasenor*, DDS
Kyoko Leann Yoda*, DMD, MSPH, MSD
Specialists
Kristen Lowe*, DDS, MS (Orthodontist)
Eric C. Lomas**, DDS (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon)
Donald Hull**, DDS (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon)
Tamanna Tiwari, BDS, MDS, MPD (General Dentistry/Research)
Catherine Flaitz**, DDS, MS (Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologist)
Sangeetha Chandrasekaran BDS, MS, MS (Periodontist)
Karo Parsegian**, DMD, MDSc, PhD (Periodontist)
Andrew Smith**, DDS (Oral and Maxillofacial Pain Specialist)
Full-Time Dental Anesthesiologists
Quen Ly**, DMD, (Dental Anesthesiologist)
Cara Riley**, DMD, MS (Dental Anesthesiologist)
Jennifer Wallen**, DMD (Dental Anesthesiologist)
Note:
* indicates American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) board certification
** indicates specialty board certification.
School Profile
| Program Type: | Hospital-based |
| Program Director: | Full-Time |
| Program Faculty: | 9 Full-Time 25 Part-Time 34 Board Certified |
| Program Length: | 24 Months Start Date: Third Monday of June |
| Program Accreditation: | Approved |
| State Licensure: | Required |
| State Licensure Required to Begin Program: | Yes |
| Number of Entering Positions: | Maximum 9 |
| Tuition In-State: | None |
| Tuition Out-Of-State: | None |
| Salary/Stipend: | First year: $62,575 Second year: $65,285 |
| Application: | $50 Fee. Applications and supplemental materials need to be received by September 1. Late applications will not be considered. |
| Participant in National Matching Service: |
Yes |
| Participant in PASS: | Yes |
| Only US citizens from ADA accredited dental schools considered: |
Yes |
| US citizens from foreign dental schools considered: | No |
| Non-US citizens from ADA accredited dental schools considered: |
Yes |
| Non-US citizens from foreign dental schools considered: |
No |
| Acceptance Applicant Ratio: | 1:20 |
| Clinic Experience: | Orthodontics Conscious Sedation Hospital Rotations General Anesthesia Emergency Call Operating Room Oral Surgery Infant Oral Health Medically Compromised Mentally Disabled Craniofacial Disorders Physically Disabled Community Clinics Public Health Minimal and Moderate Sedations Special Health Care Needs Behavior Guidance |
| Didactic Experience: | Case Conferences Seminars Literature Review Lectures |
| Other Didactic Experience: | Grand Rounds |
| Research Requirement: | Thesis or Manuscript Data Collection Project |
| Teaching Experience: | Yes. Predoctoral preclinical and clinical teaching during second year of residenc |
| Facilities: | 20 Chair/Operatories 4 Procedure center/OR suites 2 Sedation rooms 2 Special healthcare needs (SHCN) rooms 2 Consult rooms 6 Clinic Receptionist 30 Dental Assistants |