New Dental Residents Benefit & Learn at Queen’s

This article was in the hospital paper today and on their local intranet. I highlighted the part about our Trace. Hope you all enjoy!

The Queen’s Dental Clinic’s reputation is stellar, as all three of this year’s dental residents will attest. Every year, a few select applicants from all over the world are chosen to participate in a year long Dental General Practice Residency Program at Queen’s. The residents are fully licensed recent dental school graduates who desire more knowledge before starting their own practices. The current residents are Kim Whippy, DMD, Christopher Vitagliano, DMD, and Trace Baxter, DMD.

Mark Greer, DMD, MPH, is the Director of Resident Education at the Queen’s Dental Clinic, which began in 1960. Serving patients, employees, and the general community, the Dental Clinic provides critically needed services to those with physical or mental disabilities and emergency work on trauma patients and Queen’s inpatients. Employees should inquire about the discount on their insurance copay for top quality dental care in a convenient location.

The residency program begins anew each July and the Print Connection recently had a chance to see how the trio of residents is faring. “The program is everything I hoped it would be and more,” said Christopher Vitagliano, DMD (Dentariae Medicinae Doctor). Christopher graduated from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was interested in learning more about patient management and medically compromised patients. He says he appreciates the opportunity at Queen’s to see patients that typical dental practices might never come across. “At first, there was a fairly steep learning curve,” Christopher admitted, “But now I feel very comfortable in so many different situations.” He discovered that he really likes working in a hospital setting and is currently submitting applications for an oral surgery residency. Christopher says his new found passion is “a flame ignited by working here.” Originally from Arizona, Christopher describes himself as “outdoorsy.” An avid and long time soccer player, Christopher says he is “glad to be back in the sun after those brutal winters in Philadelphia.”

Kim Whippy, DMD, also escaped from the cold winters of Boston, Massachusetts, after graduating from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Kim had heard about the Queen’s program from other grads, including one of last year’s residents, Kirsi Hakkienen, DMD. “We get to do everything here,” Kim said appreciatively. “The exposure to the field is amazing, and the program director, Dr. Greer, is just awesome. He is very supportive.” Kim grew up in San Francisco, California, and is interested in pediatric dentistry. “We didn’t get much exposure to working with kids in school, so it’s great that I am getting a chance to do that here.” “It’s fun to be living in Hawai‘i for a while too,” Kim admits. She’s enjoying the chance to drive a convertible and hikes Koko Head a couple of times a week. She says she gave surfing a try, but thinks maybe hiking, biking, and swimming are more her style.

Trace Baxter, DMD, has happily embraced the outdoor lifestyle that comes with the territory too. He and his wife enjoy snorkeling, hiking, and camping. Trace also first heard about the Queen’s residency program from past participants. He knew its reputation, but had to check it out for himself. At a site visit last year, Trace says he “fell in love immediately.” He graduated from the Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, and knew that the Queen’s program would offer great exposure to all areas of dentistry, including complex medical cases. “Everyday I feel like I am learning so much,” Trace said enthusiastically. “It’s fun to be able to put into practice everything I learned in school. It’s great to have a chance to be in the OR while at the same time performing a valuable service to the community.” Trace thinks he’s found his niche in hospital dentistry and hopes to continue in this area at a “to-be-determined location” after his year at Queen’s is over. 

In addition to serving patients with special needs, the Queen’s Dental Clinic serves all typical dental needs, including cleaning, whitening, cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, cavity repair, oral surgery, root canals, dentures, and more. Call 691-4292 Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm to make an appointment or for more information.