UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS
AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. MARY PETTIETTE,
DEAN OF ADMISSIONS, VCU SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY Dr. Frank Iuorno
I know for some of you, endodontics holds the key to happiness in dentistry, but for an aspiring surgeon in his third year of dental school, the thought of performing a root canal was daunting. Find the length, take the picture, dip the film, retake the picture, rinse, and repeat...Ugh!! But I had the good fortune of having a faculty member who not only loved what she did, but also loved to teach! After several years in private practice, Dr. Mary Pettiette entered her academic career at UNC Chapel Hill School of Dentistry and covered many of my endo clinics. I cannot say she made me fall in love with endodontics, but she was an inspirational professor who made clinic and learning enjoyable. And much to my delight, Dr. Pettiette moved to Richmond after being offered the Dean of Admissions position at VCU School of Dentistry and we were able to reconnect after 25 years.
“ VCU School of Dentistry boasts one of the biggest digital dentistry programs in the U.S., and we are one of the few dental schools connected to an academic hospital.”
A little history before our interview. Dr. Pettiette earned her DDS from Louisiana State University in 1984 and pursued endodontic training at LSU as well. After fourteen years in the endodontic department at UNC, she went back into private practice for several years before being asked to serve as the Associate Dean for Admissions for UNC in 2014. In 2019, VCU was able to bring Dr. Pettiette and all her talents to Richmond and she now serves as the Dean for Admissions for the VCU School of Dentistry, and we were able to sit down together recently for an interview.
Dr. Pettiette, VCU is in somewhat a state of transition as we search for new leadership. Has this affected admissions and how’s our school stacking up against the other schools in the country? The school’s momentum has continued to progress in an upward trajectory under the leadership of interim dean, Dr. Clara Spatafore. She has implemented many positive changes and provided adept leadership as we faced the daily challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Spatafore is a major VCU School of Dentistry Ram family member, and it’s evident in her advocacy and recruitment. She is one of the first faculty our prospective students meet during their Interview Day. Her commitment to the school is why I’m confident our transition to a new dean will continue to build on her momentum and establish VCU School of Dentistry as one of the top dental schools in the country.
Dr. Mary Pettiette
We are unique in a lot of ways, and it shows in our large and diverse applicant pool. VCU School of Dentistry boasts one of the biggest digital dentistry programs in the U.S., and we are one of few dental schools connected to an academic hospital. We are ranked number 17 for National Institutes of Health research funding among all U.S. dental schools, which is truly spectacular. Our focus, now and in the future, will always center on providing a stellar dental educational to our students.
>> CONTINUED ON PAGE 52
51
