{"id":126400,"date":"2025-10-09T08:50:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T13:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=126400"},"modified":"2025-10-09T08:50:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T13:50:52","slug":"residency-directors-excited-for-new-academic-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/10\/09\/residency-directors-excited-for-new-academic-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Residency directors excited for new academic year"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The UNMC College of Dentistry\u2019s two newest residency program leaders — Alexandra Bilunas, DDS, and Kristy Marker, DDS — took time to talk about themselves and their programs as the new academic year begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kristy Marker, DDS, joined the college in August as the endodontics residency program director. The two-year program has five residents currently, and Dr. Marker, coming most recently from private practice, is excited to return to the academic arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Endodontics, or the study of care for dental pulp and tissues surrounding the root of the teeth, was a specialty Dr. Marker discovered gradually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter graduating dental school in 1999, I thought I wanted to go into oral surgery, but then I decided endodontics was for me. The interest developed over time \u2013 after I had time to practice for a few years.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Marker specialized in endodontics and graduated from University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 2008. She worked in private practice for 13 years and then decided to transition to academics. \u201cI was tired of being a lone wolf in private practice. I really missed the academic environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Marker first began exploring a move to academic dentistry in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed a potential educational role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was thrilled when I found this opportunity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m also excited about developing a program that trains UNMC endodontic residency graduates to obtain board certification,\u201d she said. \u201cThis has always been a very strong clinical program, but I want to drive home some of the things that will encourage the graduates to obtain board certification and be at the top of their game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Marker\u2019s two-year program results in a certificate in endodontics or, in three years, students can receive a master\u2019s in endodontics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alexandra Bilunas, DDS, has been with the college a bit longer than Dr. Marker, joining in June 2024 and taking over in April 2025 as the program director of the pediatric dentistry residency program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her 24-month program, which is for a certificate in pediatric dentistry, currently has nine residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Bilunas said she fell in love with pediatric dentistry while a student at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost of our pediatric dental experiences were getting on a mobile unit and traveling to small towns in Tennessee,\u201d she said. \u201cSome stops were juvenile detention centers. Some were different schools, where we would do screenings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always encourage students entering dental college to have an open mind,\u201d she said. \u201cThe beauty in pediatric dentistry is, it\u2019s a lively, upbeat, fast-paced environment. But you also are in that spot of teaching someone better oral hygiene or better diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can grow and learn to take care of the permanent teeth, the adult teeth,\u201d she said. \u201cWhereas in general dentistry, I was seeing, unfortunately, people who are maybe having their teeth removed, and now we’re looking at prosthetic appliances for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One aspect of academic medicine Dr. Bilunas appreciates is access to hospital procedures, something she didn\u2019t have in private clinical practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn private practice, we’re able to easily take care of the healthy children,\u201d she said. \u201cBut if I had a child with special health care needs, I\u2019d refer them to a residency program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s also the teaching aspect,\u201d she said. \u201cI didn’t realize how much I would enjoy showing residents even how to do a crown prep. I enjoy the \u2018A-ha!\u2019 moments the residents have as they learn new things.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kristy Marker, DDS, and Alexandra Bilunas, DDS, discuss their programs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":126401,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"71063,123494,111652,36486,64453,30914","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","topic-education","department-college-of-dentistry","author_override-john-keenan-unmc-strategic-communications"],"yoast_head":"\nResidency directors 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