William Carroll, DDS ’80 : A Beloved Mentor for Generations of Trainees

William Carroll has had many influences throughout his life – from his military father and undergraduate instructors to a childhood dentist and UCSF professors.

Along the way, he’s absorbed lessons about what it means to be a mentor, a teacher, and a team member. And at every point in his training and career, he found opportunities to lead others toward success. 

For all he’s done for those who came after him, Carroll was selected as the recipient of the 2024 UCSF Alumni Mentor Award. “I never expected to win an award for mentoring,” he says. “I’m humbled and grateful. I’m especially grateful for all that UCSF gave me, including a terrific education and amazing instructors.” 

The nomination submitted for the award says Carroll’s “mentoring knows no boundaries. He encourages people of all backgrounds to excel [as n]othing is more important to him than helping others succeed.” 

Cream of the cream 

Carroll was a military kid; his father served in the US Navy for 26 years. Between his childhood experiences and his own long career in the Navy, he has lived all over the world, including in Hawaii, Japan, Italy, the Marshall Islands, and Northern and Southern California. 

“That was an asset for me because I developed an understanding that people are basically all the same everywhere,” Carroll says. “That’s definitely one benefit of being in the military.” 

In one of those locations, Carroll was cared for by a dentist who set him on a path toward his future career. “She said she thought I’d make a great dentist since I enjoy working with my hands,” Carroll says. “That stuck with me.” 

He began his journey to dentistry with courses at San Diego State University and Grossmont College in Southern California. “I had a great English literature instructor at Grossmont, and I still use his teaching style,” Carroll says. “He was open and inclusive. He wanted his students to feel comfortable asking questions and allowed us to talk through anything that came up in the class.” 

Carroll took a part-time job as a dental assistant and shadowed dentists whenever possible. One of the dentists was a UCSF alumnus, and the potential of attending that prestigious institution stayed in Carroll’s mind as he continued his undergraduate studies.  

“I was in the pre-dental club there, and we were a cohesive group,” he says. “I learned the value of working on a team and sharing information to help all members do better. Several of those club members were admitted to UCSF.” 

At UCSF, he was a member of another cohesive group. “The Class of 1980 was an energetic bunch,” he says. “We were on a wave of change and didn’t even realize it at the time.” 

Among his UCSF mentors was Nelson Artiga, DDS ’75, former assistant dean for community clinics. “I think the faculty was a bit worried about our class and wanted to get us back on track,” Carroll says. “Dr. Artiga said, ‘You’re here for a reason. You’re the cream of the cream.’” 

Professor Marvin Stark, DDS ’52, also stands out in Carroll’s memory. “He was committed to making a difference in the community,” he says.  

Carroll also credits Phoenix Sinclair, DDS ’76, for emphasizing the importance of empathy, trust, and kindness toward all patients. “Dr. Sinclair would say, ‘No one should be a stranger to you,’” Carroll says. 

He also notes that UCSF taught him a lot in how it responded to the emerging AIDS crisis. “I really give UCSF a lot of credit,” he says. “It was one of the first health systems to implement universal, standard infection-control measures like gloves and masks.” 

An officer and a professor 

Infection control is an area that Carroll came to know well. After graduation from dental school, he became an officer in the Navy – “The Navy life was the only thing I’d ever known,” he says – and helped write infection-control guidelines for the entire command.  

“Thirty years later, while stationed in Hawaii, I noticed that some of the language my team wrote back in the ’80s could still be found in the current infection-control instructions,” he says. 

Practicing dentistry in the Navy, his mentoring skills always shined through. He became director of the General Practice Residency Program at the Naval Medical Center San Diego – almost against his wishes. 

“I didn’t want the job, but my own mentor, Dr. Scott Haney, said I’d be good at it,” he says. “There were some growing pains. It was a huge teaching hospital. But I learned how incredibly impactful a great health care team can be, and once again how important a mentor can be.” 

He spent 31 years in the Navy in numerous dental roles, including Pacific Fleet Dental Officer. 

Because teaching was his passion, that was how he wanted to spend the next chapter of his career. 

Carroll and his family moved to South Jordan, Utah, where he began teaching at Roseman University of Health Sciences’ College of Dental Medicine. He grew the program from 64 dental students when he arrived to more than 100 per cohort today. 

“I’m really proud of the program we’ve built,” says Carroll, who is now associate dean for academic affairs. 

Lessons from UCSF have always helped him in his work and life. “Dr. Artiga would say that hard days are learning opportunities – and that there are no dumb questions,” Carroll says. “Those may be the greatest gifts UCSF gave me.”