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New WVU School of Dentistry trainees begin advanced education programs

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New WVU School of Dentistry trainees begin advanced education programs

To continue their education, nine trainees arrived at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry in July to begin their chosen advanced education program.

The School offers specialized training in endodontics, orthodontics, periodontics and prosthodontics to individuals who have earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine degree to prepare them for advanced patient care in their selected field.

The Endodontics Program welcomed Dr. Caitlin Murphy, a WVU alumna from Morgantown, Dr. Nima Sadeghi from Aptos, California, and Dr. Jiayang Zhang from New Hill, North Carolina. Designed to provide the education and training necessary to practice, teach and conduct research in the specialty of endodontics, the 26-month program focuses on four areas of emphasis – education, patient care, research and service.

Dr. Nima Sadeghi, Dr. Caitlin Murphy and Dr. Jiayang Zhang
first-year trainees Dr. Nima Sadeghi, Dr. Caitlin Murphy and Dr. Jiayang Zhang

The Orthodontics Program welcomed Dr. Sarah Momen, a WVU alumna from Morgantown, Dr. Tina Shekari from Glendale, Arizona, and Dr. Ilham Spingher from Gainesville, Virginia. Throughout the 34-month program, enrollees receive comprehensive training in diagnosis, treatment planning and biomechanics to prepare them for orthodontic practice.

Dr. Tina Shekari, Dr. Ilham Spingher, Dr. Sarah Momen, Dr. Madison Smith, Dr. Allison Fritz, Dr. Tamana Spingher, Dr. Matthew Pendleton
front: first-year trainees Dr. Tina Shekari, Dr. Ilham Spingher and Dr. Sarah Momen; back: third-year trainees Dr. Madison Smith, Dr. Allison Fritz and Dr. Tamana Spingher and second-year trainee Dr. Matthew Pendleton; not pictured: second-year trainees Dr. Laura Burrows and Dr. Ryan Wilkes

Dr. Sharadyn Ille from Glendale, Arizona, and Dr. Jacob Worms from Peoria Heights, Illinois, joined the Periodontics Program. The three-year program is organized into five components – biomedical science didactics, periodontal science didactics, clinical science activity, research and teaching – to train well qualified dentists in all aspects of periodontal and implant therapy.

Dr. Jacob Worms, Dr. Zainab Riadh, Dr. Sharadyn Ille, Dr. Samuel Smith, Dr. Abhijeet Ajay
front: first-year trainee Dr. Jacob Worms and second-year trainee Dr. Zainab Riadh; back: first-year trainee Dr. Sharadyn Ille and third-year trainees Dr. Samuel Smith and Dr. Abhijeet Ajay; not pictured: Dr. Ahsab Khan

Dr. Sanket Upadhyay from Thunder Bay, Ontario, began his training in the Prosthodontics Program. Advanced training in the three-year, integrated education program is designed to provide both knowledge in the dentally applied basic sciences and experiences in the clinical science of prosthodontics.

Dr. Michael Gardi, Dr. Sanket Upadhyay, Dr. Bayan Abuhalimeh, Dr. Hammad Haq, Dr. Salvador Enriquez Solorio
front: second-year trainee Dr. Michael Gardi, first-year trainee Dr. Sanket Upadhyay and third-year trainee Dr. Bayan Abuhalimeh; back: third-year trainee Dr. Hammad Haq and second-year trainee Dr. Salvador Enriquez Solorio

Trainees in the advanced education programs provide care and complete rotations at WVU Dental, the clinical practice component of the WVU School of Dentistry, and WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.

All WVU School of Dentistry programs are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Upon completion of the programs, trainees will earn a Master of Science degree and be prepared for specialty board certification.

To learn more about the advanced education programs at the WVU School of Dentistry, visit dentistry.wvu.edu/students/master-of-science.

-WVU-

jw/8/6/25

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