Skip to header Skip to main navigation Skip to main content Skip to footer
Dentranet Faculty and Staff Directory Departments Give

Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences

  • About us
    • Faculty
    • Staff
    • Calendar
    • Referrals
  • Residency program
    • Apply
    • Facilities and Resources
    • Residents
  • Alumni
    • 2020s
    • 2010s
    • 2000s
    • 1990s
    • 1980s
    • 1970s
  • Giving

    Help support the department

    Please consider giving a tax-deductible gift designated to the Department of Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences through the VCU School of Dentistry. Your gift helps raise scholarships, attract the best residents and provide state-of-the-art resources to our patients and residents. We greatly appreciate your generosity. The current funds available are:

    The Dodds Professorship

    A vibrant and dedicated faculty is at the heart of any great institution of higher learning. Recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty and researchers is a top priority at the Department of Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences.  This goal can be assisted through endowed chairs and professorships.  An endowed professorship is a coveted position in academia, and the ability of VCU to offer one enables us to compete in the international arena for outstanding faculty leaders.

    The Dodds Professorship is the first one in the Department of Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences. Named after outstanding former chairman and friend to the school, R. Neil Dodds, D.D.S., the professorship ensures his memory will carry on the excellence of the department in perpetuity.  Income from this endowed professorship is used to supplement the salary of the endodontic graduate program director.  The first recipient and current Neil Dodds Professor is Garry L. Myers, D.D.S.   

    MAKE A GIFT

    The Molar Club

    An unrestricted fund that allows the department and chair to meet unexpected challenges and opportunities as they arise can make or break a first-rate endodontic residency program.  Your gift helps support resident travel, resident educational courses, special courses in surgery, research projects, overseas travel to international meetings and the American Board of Endodontics board certification process. 

    Your gift of the equivalent of the fee for one molar-endo procedure per year can make this happen. It is just a small way to give back to the department for all of the benefits you have received over the years from the wonderful tuition free education you received here at Virginia Commonwealth University.  

    Gifts may be made by clicking the link below, or by contacting Cristina Cruz by phone at (804) 828-2931 or by email at cmcruz@vcu.edu.

    MAKE A GIFT

    The Hartwell Endowment

    The Gary Hartwell Endowment is a tribute to the vision of a man who committed himself to a burgeoning specialty that he helped build.  Dr. Hartwell retired from the U.S. Army in 1987 and began his career at VCU. He was hired as an assistant professor in the Department of Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences at what was then known as the Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry. At various points in time during the first five years at VCU, Hartwell served as the course director for every endodontic pre-doctoral lecture, laboratory and clinical course. During that same period of time he also served as a teacher in the clinical, didactic and research portions of the VCU postgraduate endodontic program. In 1992 he was selected to serve as chair for the Department of Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences and in 1996 he assumed the additional role as endodontic postgraduate program director. He held both positions until his retirement from VCU in 2003. He retired as a full professor with tenure and in 2014 he was awarded professor emeritus status by VCU. He also holds professor emeritus status from Rutgers School of Dentistry. 

    The Hartwell Endowment allows us to hire only endodontic specialists to train future generations.

    The VCU Endo program is unique – full time board certified endodontists are teaching our residents and students. Your gift helps recruit and retain a top-notch predoctoral program director to be sure our program stays at the forefront of endodontic education.

    There’s simply no better way to honor Dr. Gary Hartwell than with a gift to the fund that allows our endodontic program to remain competitive in today’s academic environment. 

    Gifts may be made by clicking the link below or by contacting Gloria Callihan in the development office by phone at (804) 828-9245 or by email at gfcallihan@vcu.edu.

    MAKE A GIFT

  • Contact us
    • Parking and Directions

Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences

  • Style guide
  • About us
    • Faculty
    • Staff
    • Calendar
    • Referrals
  • Residency program
    • Apply
    • Facilities and resources
    • Residents
  • Alumni
    • 2020s
    • 2010s
    • 2000s
    • 1990s
    • 1980s
    • 1970s
  • Giving
  • Contact us
    • Parking and directions

UnSTOPPABLE Endodontics
and Oral Diagnostic Sciences

The VCU Department of Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences is dedicated to providing quality endodontic dental care services as well as advancing new knowledge through teaching, research, community involvement and patient care.

Learn more

Need to book a dental appointment?

BECOME A PATIENT

Hero Image

Endodontics Residency program

Our 24-month advanced education program prepares clinical specialists in endodontics who have extensive expertise and knowledge in the basic sciences, oral pathology and in the human body as a whole which they can then utilize in the provision of exemplary endodontic dental care. Students completing the program earn a certificate in Endodontics and a Master of Science in Dentistry degree.

LEARN ABOUT OUR RESIDENCY PROGRAM

 
Department chair

Duane R. Schafer, D.D.S., M.S.
Phone: (804) 828-1778
Email: drschafer@vcu.edu 

 
Residency program director

Garry L. Myers, D.D.S.
Phone: (804) 628-2903
Email: gmyers3@vcu.edu

 
Referrals

We welcome new patients and referrals for patients who may require endodontics dental care.

Oral Diagnostic Sciences

The mission of VCU Oral Diagnostic Sciences is to teach, conduct research, diagnose, manage, and provide care of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions. We do this through the following ADA–recognized specialties: Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Orofacial Pain, and Oral Medicine.

LEARN MORE

24 months

24-month course of study
in clinical and didactic
Endodontics

250+

Average number of nonsurgical procedures completed per resident

More than 50%

Percent of time residents
spend in clinical care

Explore

Giving

Help support the department

Faculty

Meet our faculty

Become a patient

Learn about our services

Endo-Resident-Patient-Care

Ready to take the next step?

Are you ready to take the next step toward your career with our Endodontics Advanced Education program? Apply to our program or reach out to us for more information!

APPLY NOW  LEARN MORE

Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Dentistry
520 N. 12th St., 4th floor
Box 980566
Richmond, VA 23298-0566
(804) 828-9190 (patient information)
dentistry@vcu.edu
SoD Facebook
SoD Instagram
SoD LinkedIn
SoD Twitter
Privacy
Accessibility
Webmaster
Compass: The University Web Framework
Updated: 04/08/2025

Virginia Commonwealth University is a nationally renowned public research institution dedicated to the success and well-being of all members of its community. VCU student, faculty and staff groups and associations are open without regard to any characteristic or identity protected by law.

Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Dentistry
520 N. 12th St., 4th floor
Box 980566
Richmond, VA 23298-0566
Contact Us

Helpful links

  • About
  • Become a patient
  • Continuing education
  • Ethics and Community Engagement
  • Events
  • Faculty and staff directory
  • Dentranet
  • News
  • Programs and admissions
  • Research

Departments

  • Dental Public Health and Policy
  • General Practice
  • Endodontics and Oral Diagnostic Sciences
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Orthodontics
  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Periodontics
  • Prosthodontics 
  • Philips Institute for Oral Health Research

Why Give?

"As a scholarship recipient, I feel honored to be recognized for my hard work and dedication. Not only does this scholarship help me financially, but it motivates me to continually push myself toward achieving my goals.”

Anastasia Bogachov (Class of 2024)
Recipient of the Denise T. Nguyen, D.D.S. Endowed Scholarship

Privacy
Accessibility
Webmaster
Vaccinate Virginia
Compass: The University Web Framework
Updated: 04/01/2025
SoD Facebook
SoD Instagram
SoD LinkedIn
SoD Twitter
SoD YouTube

Virginia Commonwealth University is a nationally renowned public research institution dedicated to the success and well-being of all members of its community. VCU student, faculty and staff groups and associations are open without regard to any characteristic or identity protected by law.