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First Forensic Dentistry Fellowship Graduate Earns Board Certification
Paige Moses Smalley, DMD, has been board certified by the American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO). Dr. Smalley is the youngest individual to achieve board certification and is the first graduate from the Forensic Dentistry Fellowship program at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine (UTGSM). She is also an alumnus of the two-year General Dentistry Residency program and is continuing her affiliation with UTGSM as clinical faculty while practicing in Georgia.
The American Board of Forensic Odontology was established in 1976, and to date, only 176 people have been awarded diplomate status. Dr. Smalley is the 174th Diplomate , among 2 in Georgia and 3 in Tennessee. She is a forensic dental consultant for the State Medical Examiner’s Office affiliated with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The UTGSM Forensic Dentistry Fellowship is a 16-month program that prepares dentists for careers in forensic dentistry by providing didactic instruction, hands-on training, and exposure to all forensic dentistry disciplines. After finishing the Fellowship Program, graduates have additional requirements to fulfill in order to meet ABFO board examination eligibility including attending 4 annual forensic meetings and performing 32 “legitimate” forensic dental cases as the primary investigator in a variety of forensic dentistry disciplines.
“The UTGSM Forensic Dentistry Fellowship provides an invaluable and unique educational opportunity to individuals interested in forensics,” said Dr. Smalley.
“Fellows participate in actual forensic cases that count towards the requirements for board certification. In addition to the education and the case work, mentorship is probably the most remarkable aspect of the Fellowship Program. The faculty are all board certified in forensic odontology or anthropology, and they continually encouraged me and the other fellows to pursue board certification.”
The Division of Forensic Dentistry is directed by James Lewis, DMD, D-ABFO, and its faculty members include nationally recognized forensics experts: Murray K. Marks, PhD, D-ABFA; Paula C. Brumit, DDS, D-ABFO; Thomas J. David, DDS, D-ABFO; Peter Loomis, DDS, D-ABFO, Richard A. Weems, DMD, MS, D-ABFO. For additional information regarding the Forensic Dentistry Fellowship; pending Master of Science Program in Forensic Dentistry; and upcoming Forensic Continuing Education Courses, visit: http://gsm.utmck.edu/dentistry/forensics/main.cfm.Pictured: Dr. Paige Smalley
Posted: April 23, 2020