Dr. Michael Granet has provided more than patient care and dental instruction as an adjunct assistant professor at the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine’s community service learning center (CSLC) in Brunswick County.
Through gifts totaling more than $100,000, Granet has invested in and helped the school obtain state-of-the-art equipment for the CSLC.
Granet, the staff and dental students now have access to a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)/panoramic X-ray unit, which provides 3D imaging; a TRIOS intraoral scanner and CoDiagnostix software and a 3D printer. The equipment allows the care team to provide scans for dental imaging instead of having to take impressions.
“Technology is at the forefront of dental education now more than ever before, and Dr. Granet’s gift of this state-of-the-art equipment provides our students and residents with vital exposure to digital dentistry,” said Dr. Greg Chadwick, dean of the dental school. “This gift, coming from a part-time faculty member, leverages our ability to expand the scope of care for the communities we serve.”
Dr. Dianne Caprio, clinical assistant professor at ECU and director of dentistry at the Brunswick CSLC, said dentists can create a virtual model of a patient’s teeth or print the model if needed.
“Dentistry has gone digital, and we are just scratching the surface of all the possibilities,” Caprio said. “Having this equipment offers the students and residents an introduction to the digital dental world.”
Caprio said the new equipment allows staff to design crowns, dentures and other prosthetics on the software and print them in the office. “We can plan for accurate placement of implants using the CBCT, TRIOS and the CoDiagnostix software by designing surgical guides and printing them in-house,” she said.
Granet learned about the CSLC after moving to Wilmington from Maryland. He works at the center each Tuesday caring for patients’ periodontic and implant needs and serving as an instructor for the dental residents working there.
“I made donations to the clinic so this equipment could be here and we could all use it, and patients could benefit from it,” Granet said. “All I did was give the money. What I get back is much greater than the money I give. I am in a happy place when I get here (Brunswick CSLC) on Tuesday.”
Staff at the CSLC honored Granet for his support with a plaque at the center. Caprio said the upgrade in technology is important to the CSLC, but Granet’s “greatest gift is his time and dedication to teaching the residents and students.”
ECU medical school marks 10th annual Medical Education Day
The Brody School of Medicine at ECU held its 10th annual Medical Education Day April 25, celebrating scholarship and innovation in medical education.
The event included podium and poster presentations in the style of the popular “Shark Tank” program, during which student presenters have five minutes to pitch their in-progress research to an expert panel and receive feedback on how best to move their projects forward.
Medical Education Day is traditionally a gathering of leaders, educators, students and other scholars that aims to provide a forum for sharing educational innovations in curriculum and teaching, enhance understanding of new approaches in medical education and strengthen the network of Brody community members interested in promoting educational excellence.
“Today marks another significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to advancing medical education and enhancing the quality of health care delivery in eastern North Carolina and beyond,” Dr. Lisa Domico, teaching assistant professor in Brody toxicology, said during opening remarks. “Today we will not only recognize the achievements of our educators, researchers and learners but also remember our dedication to the Brody mission. Our mission drives innovation, excellence and continuous improvement in medical education.”
The keynote speaker was Dr. Andrew Southerland, the Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor of Neurology and executive vice chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Virginia Health/UVA Stroke Center. Southerland is a 2006 Brody graduate and Brody Scholar. He is the past recipient of an early career award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) National Clinical Research Program and has served as principal investigator for numerous clinical studies in the field of stroke and cerebrovascular disease.
Southerland’s address was titled, “Teaching Clinical Diagnostic Reasoning in the Age of AI — Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto.”
Southerland discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) — which he also called “augmented intelligence” — can improve health care while the importance of a doctor-patient relationship remains at the forefront. He detailed some commercial AI products that contribute to medical care and how they can improve patient and provider experiences.
“I became interested in how we as educators need to consider artificial intelligence when it comes to medical education for the next generation,” Southerland said.
Southerland noted specific examples of products and programs in AI that can help physicians better care for their patients. Providers can use AI and build upon its benefits using critical thinking and existing expertise.
“This is what we as humans can do well and how we can think about AI as a way to oversee what it’s doing,” he said.
Students earned accolades for their work during the event. Second-year medical students Jacob Richardson and Alissa Davis won the Shark with the Biggest Bite award for their presentation “Utilization of Artificial Intelligence Image Generation Tools to Augment Mnemonics for Medical Students: Proof of Concept.”
Alexandra Doherty, fourth-year medical student, won the Outstanding Podium Presentation award for her presentation, “A Delphi Consensus Study for the Development of a Specialty-Focused Ultrasound Curriculum for Fourth-Year Medical Students.”
The first-place poster award went to K. Ryan Dickerson, fourth-year medical student and Medical Education and Teaching Scholar, for his project “Near-Peer Created Full Length Practice Laboratory Practicals in Gross Anatomy and Embryology: An Effective Method of Learning in the Anatomical Sciences.”
The second-place poster award went to fourth-year medical student Arden Vessie for her project “Peer-Led Medical Spanish Education: Effects on Interprofessional Student Functional Language Self-Efficacy.”
The third-place poster award went to Michael Kovasala and Taylor A. Creech, who are in their first year at Brody, for their project “Interprofessional Near-Peer-Created Resources in Gross Anatomy: Medical Student Support and Perceived Impact on Emotional Well-Being.”
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