Diagnosis: Rewarding career
Gina Radeck has been part of the School of Dentistry for more than 35 years, making her mark and leaving an impact on everyone she meets along the way.
Radeck knew she wanted to work in the medical or dental field, and decided to pursue dental assisting in a private practice. “I enjoyed it, but I wanted something more,” she recalled. “My dad told me to apply for a job at the dental school, and stay there until I retired. So I did just that.”
Radeck began her first role at the School of Dentistry in 1986 in the Graduate Endodontics Clinic, where she worked as a Certified, Registered Dental Assistant.
Today, she manages the clinical staff of the Oral Radiology department, including dental assistants and radiology technicians. It’s a big role—Radeck is tasked with supervising her staff, teaching dental learners how to obtain quality X-rays and overseeing the division’s pre-clinical lab. But Radeck loves the challenge, and the wins, that come with the role.
“It is very rewarding to see the student progression from when they start with us, to their graduation day,” Radeck reflected. “I’m proud to be a small part of the students’ education, and seeing so many classes graduate with success has been wonderful.”
Radeck’s job rarely slows or even stops—including during the COVID-19 pandemic’s early days. When most clinics were forced to shut down due to Governor Walz’s order to stop all non-emergency care, Radeck and her team stayed on to provide radiology care for the emergency cases that came through the School of Dentistry’s doors.
“During the COVID lockdown, we were here to provide scans for oral surgery emergency patients,” Radeck recalled. “It was a bit daunting, but we soon realized that patient care does not stop, ever. We were happy to be there for them.”
And every step of the way, Radeck has loved what she does.
“I have enjoyed so many opportunities here,” she said. “I have so many good memories of the days gone by. I’ve made lasting friendships, and I’ve had wonderful mentors and supervisors.”
Radeck’s drive and commitment to patient care has not gone unnoticed by those around her.
“Gina is a critical member of our staff,” reflected Nelson Rhodus, MPH, FICD, FRCSEd, director of the Division of Oral Medicine. “As supervisor in the oral radiology clinics, she has truly been dedicated and outstanding. Showing up every day even throughout the COVID pandemic to ensure that clinical services continued to run seamlessly in order to support the school. Gina is also so valuable as a teacher of all our students in the clinic. She is continually motivated and finds ways to improve our clinics and she always does all of this with a smile!”