Carly McKenzie

Carly McKenzie is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Admissions and Student Services at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, where she serves in the Department of Behavioral & Population Sciences. She has held various academic positions since 2012, including Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and multiple administrative roles related to admissions and student services. She also serves as a Scientist at the School of Dentistry's Global Center for Craniofacial, Oral and Dental Disorders (GC-CODED).

Dr. McKenzie earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Communication and her Master's in Public Relations/Advertising/Applied Communication, both from the University of Alabama in 2010.

Her research focuses on critical areas at the intersection of dental education, communication, and healthcare disparities. Dr. McKenzie has extensively studied clinical communication skills in dental education, examining how standardized patient simulations impact students' long-term retention of communication techniques. She has also conducted significant research on health disparities, particularly investigating dental students' attitudes toward treating low-income, rural, non-white, and special needs populations. Her work on poverty simulations explores how experiential learning can improve healthcare students' understanding of social determinants of health. Additional research areas include measuring student success metrics beyond traditional academic performance, examining grit and resilience in dental education, and developing interventions for cultural competence such as dental Spanish training.

Analysis of Dr. McKenzie's publication record reveals a consistent focus on improving dental education through innovative teaching methods and addressing healthcare disparities. Her work demonstrates a progression from foundational studies on communication skills training to more complex investigations of social determinants of health and student success metrics. Recent publications show increased emphasis on rural dentistry workforce development and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding poverty's impact on healthcare.

• Predoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene (Health Resources and Services Administration/DHHS, 2022)
• Predoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene (Health Resources and Services Administration/DHHS, 2017)
• Simulation Infrastructure Expansion for Preclinical Health Professions Students (University of Alabama Health Services Foundation, 2013)

Dr. McKenzie serves on thesis committees, including for Phorum Desai, and teaches multiple dental courses including Evidence-Based Dentistry, Case-Based Education, and Clinical Communication Skills across all dental student years. Her teaching portfolio demonstrates a strong commitment to integrating communication skills and social determinants of health throughout the dental curriculum.