My journey into dentistry was 9 years of formal education and much more. Dentistry is a lifelong learning process, learning from each patient, friend, and mentor. I am so grateful to have had so many colleagues, classmates, co-residents, and mentors to mold me into the dentist I am today.
Four years were spent in undergrad obtaining my foundation in health sciences. I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and minor in Chemistry. During this time, I actively participated in many organizations both as a leader and a member. Obtaining a high and competitive GPA was just as important as the hours of community service and shadowing in the field of dentistry. I remember being one of two cars in my undergraduate university’s parking lot on Thanksgiving Day studying for 8 hours prior to meeting with my family for dinner.
“It took 9 years of formal education. But the journey of dentistry is a lifelong learning process...”
Like Medical school, Dental school is in itself four years. We were given the opportunity to study multi-disciplinary dentistry with our faculty and many specialists. We worked alongside our Medical and Pharmacy schools to establish inter-professional teamwork and communication. However, our days were not finished even after the 8-hours a day class schedule, Monday through Friday.
We spent countless sleepless nights studying as hard as we could to become the best clinicians for our patients. It really was a collaborative environment and each one of my mentors and classmates helped me become the clinician I am today. I became a dentist after hundreds of exams and practicals, community missions, a mission trip to Jamaica, two written national boards, and two clinical national boards.
Post-Doctoral Residency
During my Advanced Education in General Dentistry, we rotated through numerous disciplines in dentistry. I served as the Chief Resident of the AEGD at Fort Jackson, SC. Being a military residency program, we had specialists in each discipline as our mentors. It was a rewarding opportunity.
Comments