Meet Dr. Frederico Martinho, 2022 Endodontic Educator Fellowship Award Recipient

The Foundation for Endodontics demonstrates its commitment to education in a variety of ways. The Foundation’s Endodontic Educator Fellowship Award recognizes the critical role that educators play in strengthening the specialty. This prestigious award provides funding to individuals who agree to commit five years to a full-time academic career in endodontics at a dental school that is accredited by or has a reciprocal agreement with the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. Recipients receive $50,000 a year, for up to five-years, a total of $250,000.

This year, the Foundation is honored to award the Endodontic Educator Fellowship to Frederico Martinho, DDS, MSc, PhD, clinical associate professor and director of predoctoral endodontics at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

Take a few minutes to get acquainted with Dr. Martinho, an avid supporter of the Foundation and a talented researcher.

What appeals to you most about a career in education?
I realized that a full-time educator career provides a good balance for my interests and training. This led me to follow my endodontic residency with a MSc degree and PhD to enhance my endodontic clinician-scientist path with more formal and rigorous training. It is a joy to facilitate the self-actualization of others. It is my goal to leave a legacy to endodontic education by inspiring others to pursue academia.

When did you know you wanted to be an educator?
My passion for sharing knowledge and teaching started in dental school. Classmates often sought me out for additional help. It was fulfilling to see them succeed. During class, I was one of those students who sat in the front row of the room and took detailed notes. After class, I spent hours at night reading my notes and rewriting them. Classmates would copy my notes and join me in studying for exams. At that time, I discovered my affinity for teaching which became more evident over the years.

My heart became set on academia. Teaching my classmates was exciting, rewarding, and helped strengthen my own education. I was ranked as the number one DDS student in the Class of 2004 at Estacio de Sa University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I also received an outstanding dental student award from the Brazilian Dental Association. During my Endodontic residency in the Odontoclinica Central da Marinha of the Brazilian Navy, I had the opportunity to mentor my co-residents. My interest in academia grew stronger and I enrolled in a two-year MSc degree program at Piracicaba Dental School State University of Campinas (FOP-UNICAMP), Piracicaba, Brazil. This program had a strong focus on teaching and research. During my MSc program, I realized the value of evidence-based teaching in dentistry. I began to appreciate that teaching and research complement each other.

With this in mind, I enrolled in a three-year PhD program centered on research with teaching components at the predoctoral and postgraduate level at FOP-UNICAMP.

Who is your biggest inspiration?
My professional mentor and inspiration is Dr. Brenda Gomes. Her passion for her work inspires others around her. Her ability to effectively communicate with others is admirable. She is creative in her research design and original ideas. Finally, Dr. Gomes presents her authentic self, which puts others at ease.

Congratulations on receiving the Endodontic Educator Fellowship Award, Dr. Martinho! The future of endodontic education is in good hands!