About Dr. Wilkinson
Dr. Paul Wilkinson always knew he wanted to pursue a career in medicine, but he also knew he wanted to explore various specialties before committing to a particular area of medicine. His exploration of various fields began when he decided to follow in the footsteps of his aunt—an anesthesiologist—and volunteer at the children’s hospital. While there, Dr. Wilkinson observed a range of different specialties, but he ultimately connected the most with oral surgeons. During his volunteering experience, he learned from the oral surgeons about what they do and how their field combined his two interests—anesthesia and surgery. From there, pursuing a career in oral and maxillofacial surgery was a no-brainer.
Dr. Wilkinson has been practicing oral and maxillofacial surgery since 2010, and he joined Dr. Graves—his friend since dental school—at Amarillo Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in 2011. The most rewarding part of Dr. Wilkinson’s job is making people happy. Dr. Wilkinson often sees patients who have suffered for a long time; when he can identify and solve their oral health problems, he gets the most satisfaction from seeing their happiness and gratitude.
Education
Dr. Wilkinson attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he majored in biology and minored in chemistry. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1998 and then continued onto the University of Louisville for dental school. In 2004, Dr. Wilkinson completed dental school and received his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) degree. After dental school, Dr. Wilkinson felt that attending medical school would further improve his knowledge and skills and help him provide the highest quality care to his patients. In 2007, he graduated from Texas Tech with his MD.
Residency
In 2010, after medical school, Dr. Wilkinson completed a four-year Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. During his time at Baylor, Dr. Wilkinson gained hands-on experience treating a range of oral and facial conditions. He worked alongside other surgeons and licensed anesthesiologists so that he could learn various treatment techniques and safe administration of anesthesia.
Hobbies and Interests
Outside of work, Dr. Wilkinson enjoys a wide variety of hobbies. He is largely interested in all things cars—he loves learning about them, building them, admiring them, and he even participates in sanctioned street racing. He also enjoys various outdoor activities like fishing and hunting and loves traveling to his hunting lodge in South America, where he enjoys sport-shooting, shooting clays, and participating in winery tours.
