After graduation, Dr. Emerick moved to Illinois for a full-time, 3-year residency program at the respected University of Illinois at Chicago, earning a Certificate in Orthodontics and Masters Degree in Oral Sciences for her thesis research on orthodontic root resorption. Dr. Emerick voluntarily underwent peer review of several of her treated cases and completed a rigorous testing process at the ABO headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri to become Board Certified by the American Board of Orthodontics.