Eduard Pocola, D.D.S., M.D., was appointed interim director for the UF Advanced Education in General Dentistry, or AEGD, residency program in St. Petersburg, effective November 27, 2023.
Pocola joined the UF College of Dentistry in July 2021 as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science. As program director, he is responsible for all oversight of the clinical and educational aspects of the center.
Pocola also serves as a team leader for the AEGD program, with didactic and clinical teaching responsibilities. Located on the Seminole Campus of St. Petersburg College, UF Health St. Petersburg provides dental care during more than 8,000 patient visits annually. From an administrative standpoint, Pocola is responsible for monitoring quality assurance, new patient treatment planning and maintains oversight for clinical production to ensure the clinic runs as efficiently and effectively as possible while carrying out its mission.
Pocola earned his medical degree in 1999 from the University of Oradea in Romania and then went on to earn his dental degree there in 2005. He completed a forensic medical examiner residency in 2004 and earned his master’s degree in teaching in 2005 before going into private practice in Romania.
He came to the United States in 2006, where he worked in private practice in Palm Harbor, FL, for seven years before enrolling in UF’s Hialeah AEGD program where he was chief resident in 2015 during his final year.
After graduating from UFCD with his advanced education certificate, Pocola spent six years with Heartland Dental.