By Mackenzie Meleski 

The journey of Christina Philips, D.D.S., at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry has seen her advance from dental student to orthodontics resident and then to full-time faculty member. And she did it all in just a few years.

“To now serve on the faculty of the very program that molded me is both very humbling and deeply meaningful,” said Philips, who started as an assistant professor at the school this fall.

Philips always knew she wanted to work in health care because of the opportunities to help others in need.

“You get to go through a whole journey with your patients, especially in orthodontics,” Philips said. “I love getting to know my patients and seeing them grow over the years.”

After graduating from Washington and Lee University with a degree in biology, Philips started her dental education at VCU in 2019.

“I was first drawn to VCU because of this family feeling, camaraderie and spirit,” Philips said.

Her time at VCU School of Dentistry was shaped by the people around her. Philips took part in student organizations, enjoyed studying with her peers and served as the vice president of her class for all four years. However, it was her research efforts that stood out to her the most.

As a second-year dental student, Philips received funding from VCU’s Commercialization Fund to develop her own invention. Her project, called the “Proxy-Flosser,” is a cleaning device for people who wear braces. Using the device, users can simultaneously floss and clean around their braces in one motion. The invention is currently patent pending.

“I had an idea, and I was able to fully pursue it thanks to support from VCU and my instructors,” Philips said. “It is great to be able to explore innovation and research while still being a student. I would recommend that all students take advantage of the resources and opportunities they have while at VCU.”

Following dental school, Philips served her orthodontics residency at VCU, her first choice, and began to feel a spark toward teaching. She enjoyed giving lectures in various courses to second- and third-year dental students and providing chairside instruction to fourth-year dental students.

Working in orthodontics, Christina Philips, D.D.S., says “you get to go through a whole journey with your patients.” (School of Dentistry)

“I’ve always had a natural inclination for teaching and genuinely enjoy finding creative ways to make learning exciting and engaging,” Philips said. “Throughout my residency, I discovered that sharing knowledge and helping others grow in the dental profession is incredibly fulfilling and rewarding.”

Philips developed close working relationships with her fellow residents and mentors. Among others, Philips noted the leadership of Steven J. Lindauer, D.M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Orthodontics; Eser Tufekci, D.D.S., Ph.D., a professor of orthodontics; and Bhavna Shroff, D.D.S., professor of orthodontics and director of the orthodontic postgraduate program.

“Every interaction I’ve had with the faculty at VCU I’ve taken something important away,” Philips said. “So many people contributed to my success and development of who I am as a dentist and a person.”

Toward the end of Philips’ residency, Lindauer observed that she had the qualities to make an excellent educator.

“Dr. Philips is very imaginative and thinks outside the box,” Lindauer said. “We often would go around the room asking everyone to express their opinions about a case being presented and the first person would say something and then the others would all agree, going around the room one by one. But Dr. Philips often would come up with original thoughts and ideas, forcing everyone else to think harder about what they originally believed or expressed.”

According to Lindauer, this quality makes her well suited for her new faculty position.

“The best teacher is not one who will stand up and tell everyone what the answer is but is one that will stimulate their students to come up with the right answer or challenge them to think about what other answers might be correct. Dr. Philips is able to do this and enjoys doing it,” Lindauer said.

Upon completing her residency this past spring, Philips decided to go into teaching. Working in academia gives her the opportunity to not only continue working in the clinic, but also to help advance the mission of VCU to create the next leaders in oral health.

In her role, Philips lectures on orthodontics to second-year dental students, serves as an attending faculty member in the orthodontics clinics, and sees her own patients in the faculty practice. According to Philips, no two days are ever the same, and she is finding ways to learn and grow at every corner.

“My continued commitment to the school reflects not only my respect for the academic and clinical environment and the people, but also my belief in its mission and vision for the future of dental education and dental health care professionals.”

Inspired by Christina’s story? Read more about students and faculty connected to VCU Health

A version of this story was originally published by VCU School of Dentistry.