Interview Questions- Dental School – Flashcards

My name is Miriam Ohakam (my parents are from Nigeria but moved here wayy before I was born). I'm originally from Arlington, TX and just graduated from Rice University this past May with a B.A. in Kinesiology, so currently I'm at the beginning of my gap year! I became pre-dental towards in the spring semester of college and have since then have become more involved and engaged with the profession through shadowing, volunteering, and connecting with dental and pre-dental students which has definitely helped to solidify my decision. Besides dentistry, I really love art, sports, music and have a bit of an obsession with korean dramas.

definitely my work ethic- combining patience and persistence and flexibility are what have helped me push for success, learn that success takes time, and adapt to unforseen roadblocks along the way. I carry these traits into just about every task I take on whether its a biochemistry project of a flag football game

at the time that I would have been apply for entrance immediately following graduation from Rice, I had many reasons for considering a gap year. For one, I felt like my passion and desire to enter the dental field was not reflected in my potential application at the time- I personally wanted to include more shadowing, volunteering experience, and other forms of exposure to dentistry as well as academic achievements. I've learned never to rush things so I saw a gap year as also the perfect opportunity to not only continue to explore dentistry but also grow as an individual- learn to balance aspects of my life and explore new things that over my time at Rice, I became really interested in (ex: language acquisition, healthy lifestyle)

Weaknesses: Something that I am currently working on is learning not to overthink. I'm a very detail-oriented person when it comes to doing stuff or considering big decisions in my life but there are times when I find myself overthinking situation that really shouldn't be as difficult as I make them in my head. This happened mostly in the beginning of my university days as a freshman but overtime I've learned- am and still learning- that putting thought into decisions is of course good but those thoughts should eventually translate into action or inaction so also learning to trust my gut more, learning to not get ahead of a day's work, and know that there's no way to have everything thought out to the T is something that overtime, I've been much better at.

Good listener, very chill, storyteller- not in the way that I like to make up lies but I do really like to talk about random events in my life and when I do- I try to make it very vivid.

I really liked how the course within the major had a clinical aspect to it. Even in the labs, the subjects were people and it was really nice to take the science we learned in class and apply to everyday situations involving real people and as someone who wants to work with people for a living- being exposed to clinical side of things was really important and really interesting to me.

Rice, in my opinion, is a very family-like institution. When I first considered applying, what interested me was that Rice was ranked #1 in happiest students and quality of life. Going to a university that really valued the students and worked hard to create a support network where people from incredibly diverse backgrounds could come together to take on the academic rigor in a place that would become "home away from home" was really important to me and just seeing how much Rice stressed unity and embracing diversity really convinced me. Rice is very diverse campus and is very proud of its diversity and really tries to reflect that in motivating students to take on unique experiences and showcasing the various talents of individuals around campus which has honestle led to so many moments and memories that I would have imagines

Winter break of sophomore year was the first time I considered dentistry. At Rice, you have to declare your major before spring semester of sophomore year and after doing so, it really made the whole idea of college being a stepping stone into the "real world" a lot more real and soon. So at the time, I knew what I liked but didn't know where to go from there and so I researched and became very intrigued with dentistry. When I returned I started shadowing and from there shadowed at other practices, got connected with the pre-dental society, had the opportunity to meet regularly with a professor at the Houston dental school, and

I'm from TX and being able to practice in the state I grew up would be great especially since its home to me. And after leaving Arlington for a bit and seeing other places within TX, I would love the opportunity to learn in an environment that is knew yet familiar. And with San Antonio being such a hilly place compared to the city of Houston or the suburbs of Arlington where I grew up, it allows me to tap into the nature side of me that I've always wanted to explore

Despite the rigorous academic component, I feel like Rice really does put in effort to helping students turn goals into realities. And I made sure to utilize the resources available to me and studied hard because I knew what the end goal I had in mind was and its this same mindset that I intend to carry into dental school

Nutrition for sure! I honestly feel like its such a important aspect of health promotion in just about every field including dentistry. What I really liked was that it was a class that I could immediately use the information learned in my everyday life because eating it something I do literally all the time. I won't lie and say I'm the healthiest person ever- but being healthy is something that is really important to me personally and something I can teach professionally.

Microbiology just because of the volume of the material.

Ending each course successfully had brought me closer and closer to becoming what I want in life- and its honestly the most satisfying feeling when I've proven to myself what I'm capable of. It's also taught me to continue to work hard and really focus of learning rather than memorizing because it's information that will always be useful later on.

No. I was more focus on finding a particular topic that I was interested in as oppose to using my time at Rice to understand the process of research in generally. But it is something that I am really interested in learning more about in dental school.

Definitely. I feel like my college experience as well as my schools years before show that I do work really hard in school in order to achieve various goals that I've have in life.

Sometimes hard to get to know people from other colleges unless you really go out of the way (luckily I was involved in organizations outside of my college that allowed meet to meet others)- I noticed this especially with athletes.

I wouldn't say that I dislike this professor but I did find myself having a hard times with the course because I wasn't really sure what I was missing when it came to meeting standards and expectations. It was my FWIS class (required freshman writing seminar) and I chose to take Greek Theology. The material itself wasn't too bad but we had paper assignments every week, sometimes everyday, and when I would read feedback for one, I felt like it wasn't consistent with previous feedback or feedback I would get just from personally asking her for clarification. Eventually during one of my class discussions- my professor did bring it up because many students also had questions about it and we were then able to get more clarification .

You should choose me because I truly believe that I have quality's that will benefit this school. I am very driven, I am a leader, and I am very personable. And for these reasons and more I know that once I am in dental school these qualities will allow me to encourage my fellow classmates follow my lead in always trying to to be the best dentist that they can be and to try to help as many people as they can through dentistry, because that is what I will be doing. because i want this, i want this more than a common applciation will ever show...and if you decide to not choose me this year i will be back next year and the year after that

I ended up applying to 6- which were all different schools than the ones I initially indicated.

If I am not accepted into your program, I will make sure to contact the school and determine what I will need to do to become a competitive applicant for the following application cycle and apply again. A failed first attempt wouldn't deter me from something I am passionate about pursuing.

Powderpuff!!! Maybe I'm bias- but I feel like powderpuff

CAMP KESEM

Spending times with friends, YouTube surfing (I go through phases), working out, going on random adventures (mostly involving food)

Mission Arlington, Give Kids a Smile, mentorship at Young Elementary

It's always difficult starting a new chapter in life because you don't exactly know what to expect so for me, just like in college, it's all about learning to adjust by really understanding my habits and what works best for me. Once I'm in school, I plan to make use of resources available to help me in that adjustment process. But I know that once I have an understanding of the everyday expectations for dental school, it should be fine.

general understanding of the way a practice is run- what happens in the front desk... THINK HARDER

Strengthen my knowledge about currently problems in the field, learn to keep up with changes going on, and develop a better understanding of what goes into a dental practice besides the hands-on aspect (insurance, billings, etc.) hope to improve my ability to communicate with patients on a professional level and strengthen my knowledge in problems facing dentistry today.

SHADOWING: general, peds, ortho, PRE-DENTAL SOCIETY: talked to dental students, volunteer at Give Kids a Smile, develop relationships with 2 Rice alums (one of which is a practicing dentist and the other a professor at the dental school in Houston), MISSION ARLINGTON- volunteering for about of month with other pre-dentals, MEMORIAL PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY- gap year work

Short-term-get into dental school to become a dentist. Long term- become fluent in Korean and Spanish, oversea dental mission trips, open up a practice, start a mentoring program/blog for pre-dental hopefuls (detailing my experiences, tips, and hopefully scholarships for DAT studying material)

I was initially attracted to this program because I want to attend a school that will provide me with exposure to a diverse patient population early in my career which is the case with the interprofessional community clinic. I am excited by the clerkship opportunities to be able to work in different hospital settings and gain exposure to a large patient population.

Start an internship/ mentorship program for pre-dental students

Camp Kesem 2015- goal was to double everything. Succesfully developed a campsite

Young Elementary Mentorship- reconnected w/ the teacher in charge, took note of who was interested, and made myself available to those who needed transportation to get to and from the school. Apartment Search

Camp Kesem Week Committee Member! We were able to raise money for camp and spread awareness of camp kesem on campus

Camp Kesem, BSA, idk....

Usually if I'm really stressed I either exercise, listen to music, take a nap- just anything to take my attention off of the situation and simply relax and refresh before going back to it. I find that it's also helpful to just talk through the stress with family and friends also.

I made sure to allot myself a specific amount of time to get things done. The best way for me to do this was by to physically write down what I had to accomplish for the week and sometimes even for the next week than create time slots based on how long I predicted each task would take and when each one was due. Of course, there were moments when certain tasks would take a bit longer or I found myself needing more break time but I am pretty good at sticking to the schedule once I see it right in front of me.

Camp Kesem Ops Committee: team of six; collectively came together and set goals and deadlines; as time was going by, goals were not being met (many of which were the first step to being able to fully dive into scheduling); met individually with co-leader to discuss the issue; solution: came back to the group with understanding (position was new and unfamiliar and we understood that and wanted to be able to help in any possible way we could to make the process easier and exciting) also had individual meetings with teams and was able to learn a lot about how individual team members were feeling, questions they needed answers to, and eventually was able to pull off a sucessful camp!

Camp Kesem Ops Committee: team of six; collectively came together and set goals and deadlines; as time was going by, goals were not being met (many of which were the first step to being able to fully dive into scheduling); met individually with co-leader to discuss the issue; solution: came back to the group with understanding (position was new and unfamiliar and we understood that and wanted to be able to help in any possible way we could to make the process easier and exciting) also had individual meetings with teams and was able to learn a lot about how individual team members were feeling, questions they needed answers to, and eventually was able to pull off a sucessful camp!

Powderpuff- I can be a bit fidgety when playing sometimes because my first instinct when I see the ball is to go after it but as the last line of defense- that's not always the wisest decision and would lead to a lot of yards lost when someone would catch a deep play after I had already jumped the gun. It took a lot of moments like this to realize the importance of my position and learn to trust the other defensive players in front of me while assisting in ways I could through communicating. By playing like this, I was much more prepared for deep plays and had many great seasons after

To me success means being happy in the career path that I have chosen, making sure that I am able to give my best to my projects and knowing that I am not neglecting my responsibilities.

The last book I read in its entirety just for fun was the Twilight series- it was my second time reading it before I went to college, mostly now I read news outlets or current events online but recreational reading is on my to-do list for my gap year just have to find the right book. The last movie, the Averagers movie: Captain America- Civil Wars

Walt Disney?

the future of dentistry in 1st world countries in my opinion will continue to trend more towards preventative and cosmetic procedures. while in impoverished nations I hope that they have the opportunity to even have the access to dental help that was common in the united states 30-40 years ago. RELATIONSHIP B/W GP AND SPECIALISTS- USED TO BE BASED ON SUBCONTRACTOR FOR REFFERALS NOW BASED ON COLLABORATIVE PARTNER INCREASED ROLE OF DENTISTRY IN SOLVING SLEEP BREATHING PROBLEMS-FOUND THAT IT IS ASSOCIATED TO ORAL APPLICANCE THERAPY RISE OF CORPORATE PRACTICES

one problem that I have heard a lot about on the internet and from dentists that I have shadowed is the need to educate your patients on how important their dental health is. Many people have been going through rough times in the last ten or so years with whats been going on with the economy and have in turn not gotten dental work done because they think that it is not as important as other things they can be spending their money on. when in reality the patient deciding to wait to get their work done is taking a 1000 dollar problem and turning it into something much much more

1. more comfort for the patients - no one really fears the dentist anymore, PEOPLE ARE MORE EDUCATED ON DENTISTRY THAN BEFORE 2. now a days a dentist will do all he can do to save a tooth when in the past their first thought was to just pull the tooth 3. A trip to the dentist now is often about the looks of your teeth not necessarily the patients oral health. TECHNOLOGY!! ESPECIALLY 3D IMAGING, DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY, GOING PAPERLESS WITH PATIENT RECORDS.

Yes, where I work currently I work currently is with a small group of people and even though I haven't been there long the small size has allowed me to really understand variations in work styles in pretty quickly (angela vs. brenda/ dr. tang vs. dr. brock) and adjust accordingly and its usually small differences but it helps to know because it just makes their job a bit easier.

I would still pursue a career that would allow me to exercise creativity and help people. So maybe a nutritionist or _____.

I see myself in five years graduated from dental school and most likely in a residency program- either pediatrics, ortho, general. In ten years I see myself having joined an already established practice in order to learn from an experienced dentist how to successfully run a practice in order to take those skills learned to start up my own later on down the road.

I was able to use my time at Rice and even in high school to meet with career counselors and shadow various health professions such as an orthopedic surgeon and PT through my sports medicine internship because I did want to make sure I knew my options and that I had put thought into my decision. And while the health professions I was exposed to were great, they didn't excite me in the same way that dentistry does. When it comes to dentistry I really appreciated being able to really be there for my patients from start to finish by using the information I learned in school and translating that into hands-on work. And I also really liked the team aspect between the dentist and the dental assistant and how overtime, you develop and bond and your own kind of groove to getting the work done together- alot of which involved communicating without verbal communication. The other careers in health are amazing but I personally feel that dentistry is the best fit for me.

Diversity to me is not only differences in outward appearances but also differences in experiences and upbringing that influences thought processes I think of diversity not as just differences in race or sex but the differences in peoples backgrounds. I believe what molds us as people are our experiences and hardships we have had to overcome. I believe diversity is important to have for a good learning environment because all of these people who have had different experiences will all have different ways of thinking. If you get a lot of people with different ways of thinking to work together to accomplish a goal you will arise with the best overall solution.

1.Examine, diagnose and treat oral diseases. 2.Educate patients on preventive dental care and oral health care. 3.always be realistic to the patients- never advise need of unnecessary procedures. 4. discuss the pros, cons, and cost of each procedure with the patient before operating.

A football player was in my spanish class and told us that he had a friend that had all the answers for our test. My friend and I confronted him and said that he shouldn't cheat and that it would only hurt himself. He then proceeded to mention that's how he passed all his classes. At the end of class, my friend and I approached the teacher and told her that we had reason to believe that he was going to cheat on the next test. She thanked us and that was that.

I would consider the following 1. which one did I think would make me into the best dentist 2. which schools values closely matched my own (which one values volunteering and such) 3. cost 4. proximity to home

I would use a translator on the computer or even my phone if that wasn't available in order to write down the explanation of what they need to know about the procedure and follow-up information. We could go back and forth communicating in that way because as a dentist I want all my patients to have equal access to information regarding there oral health.

I would decline to use the cheat sheet and advise the student to do the same because there's not a cheat sheet readily available to you in your chair at the office. And at that point, the consequences are much worse because your dealing with a patient instead of a test. Which is why I believe tests are there to prepare you to be the best at what you do in the long run and passing a test through cheating will never grant you the opportunity to learn what you need to know for the real world.

In a profession like this everyone is treated the same. It is important to be extremely cautious with every patients, because sometimes that information is not disclosed. Therefore universal precautions should be used. As a future dentist I will never discriminate against anyone because of their health history or their background.

the future of dentistry in 1st world countries in my opinion will continue to trend more towards preventative and cosmetic procedures. while in impoverished nations I hope that they have the opportunity to even have the access to dental help that was common in the united states 30-40 years ago.

one problem that I have herd alot about on the internet and from dentists that I have shadowed is the need to educate your patients on how important their dental health is. Many people have been going through rough times in the last ten or so years with whats been going on with the economy and have in turn not gotten dental work done because they think that it is not as important as other things they can be spending their money on. when in reality the patient deciding to wait to get their work done is taking a 1000 dollar problem and turning it into something much much more Yes, a lot of ppl have lost their insurance so their not coming in for reguaalr check ups so we are not seeing minor problems and they are letting it develop into a bigger problem. If you wait too long, the decay doesn't wait for us, the decay becomes more extensive and you'll need more work. Ppl come in and would rather spend more money on frivilous things and they put oral health in last. Obamacare- a lot of ppl have lost their dental insurance b/c their employers don't wanna pay extra for dental. *dental therapists *corporate *how dental health relates to your whole body health (periodontal bone disease linked heart problems) *awareness *dads office always stresses to patients that need to take care of the small things, come in regularly, so we can find the small things before they come bigger and more expensive problems. Patients don't realize that dentistry is a preventative measure, when it hurts, they come in. But they shouldn't wait till it hurts. Filling might have cost you 200 dollars but if want to restore tooth 2000 or more. *alot of patients have a mindset-have a 1000 dollar max so just use that and not spend anything,wait till next year, that's something we don't see in medical. reactive to preventative dentistry Access to care and how you can address this issue as a dental professional diagnosing properly periodontal disease Embracing technology Community water fluoridation was named one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, there are areas in the United States that do not have appropriately fluoridated water systems. Barriers to care include anything that limits or prevents people from receiving adequate health care. In the case of dental care, the most common are financial hardship, geographic location, pressing health needs and poor oral health literacy. Language, education, cultural and ethnic barriers may compound the problem. In many cases, multiple issues are involved. To access the necessary care for their dental needs, patients may require transportation, oral health education and/or financial assistance. H.R. 539, Action for Dental Care Act, which would enable organizations to provide dental services to underserved populations through grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

I believe what sets me apart from other applicants is that I was fortunate to grow up seeing how a dental practice operates. My parents own their own private practice so I was able to help my mother, the office manager, at a young age with insurance, interacting with patients, and observing dental procedures. Being a dentist is more than just performing dental procedures. If you plan to open your own private practice, you have to know the business too. I have been lucky to have been exposed to some of the knowledge that is required to be able to have a successful business.

1.first and foremost does the school produce well trained and successful dentists. 2. tuition costs 3. proximity to home 4. Community outreach/volunteer opportunities

I am a visual learner - and from asking current uf dental students much of their learning involves hands on visual learning.

My Family completely supports my decision to become a dentist. Both my parents have always told me to go after what I want and know me to be the type who weighs decisions carefully so when I told them that I wanted to be a dentist- that was basically that!

Right now I am leaning towards being a general dentist because I can't say for certain if I would enjoy any of the specializing options. However, if I do end up enjoying one of them down the road in dental school, then it might be an option for me. although If I were to specialize I believe I would choose orthodontics because I think it'd be really cool seeing my patients self confidence immediately rise after I took their braces off.

Taking on challenges in relation to academics is not an entirely new to me. Of course, each school is a new experience and I've learned how to effectively adjust to meet demands. For me, it's all about knowing what I need to get done and how to get it done in the time frame that I have.

extractions, sealants, crowns, a root canal, fillings, braces fitting/tightening, as well as basic cleaning and oral evaluaions

Self study; coursesaver, DAT destroyer, Crack the DAT, Crack the PAT, a few Kaplan books from my dental advisor, and youtube in cases where I wanted more of a visual representation in order to grasp the material.

parents and

Another reason that I want to be a Dentist is because I posses attributes that will enable me to be a successful dentist. 1. I am very personable- my patients will always feel comfortable and assured that I am the best person for the job because they will know that I truly do care about them. 2. I have the coordination and steadiness of hand to perform the procedure required to be a dentist. 3. I have always been very driven in whatever I do, so I will always strive to be the best dentist I can be

I've shadowed and volunteered in many different clinics and have had exposure to general, ortho, and pediatrics (which is actually the specialty in the office I currently work at). I was also fortunate enough to connect with a professor at the Houston dental school who happened to be a Rice alum also was nice enough to help me along the process right off the bat from learning more about dentistry to actually applying for dental school. I've also been familiarizing myself with dental terminology and basic anatomy which has been super helpful in understanding what was going on while volunteering at Mission Arlington back home and at Memorial Pediatric Dentistry where I'm currently.

1. commitment to a path of service being a leader in the community. The amount of training is meant to 2. maintaining a respectable image because people look up to you (goes back to being a leader) 3. being a professional - being honest, loyal, doing the right thing 4.

EDIT 1. reliability- these patients put a lot of trust into the hand of the dentist in allowing procedures to be performed on them and as a health provider, its an obligation to do so in a manner fit for the patient. 2. actual dental skills- some dentists are actually beter than others and that makes a huge difference in quality and comfort of the overall procedure 3. leadership - a dentist is a leader in his office and the community 4. people person- to really be good at what you do, you have to know your patients.

LIMITED ACCESS - not physically having access to a dental office - not financially having access to a dental office (when I was in Guatemala, a lot of the children we worked had rotting teeth and I can't remember who, but I was talking to some there who was talking about how when your so limited in certain situations, unfortunately you have to start prioritizing). And while oral hygiene is really important, a lot of individual have to make the sacrifice and forsake it in order to deal with other health and life demands. MAINTAINING ORAL HEALTH THROUGH PREVENTION- fillings and extractions don't have to be the norm being aware of preventive steps that can be taken in everyday life and in the dental office such as sealants and fluoride will save you a headache in the longer run (especially considering the fact that the cost of restorative services run much higher than preventative services and personal lifestyle changes) Barriers to care are fueled by the small number of dentists who accept Medicaid and the high number of people living in areas with dentist shortages.3 Lack of awareness of the fact that oral health I've heard a few dentist talk about posture issues which I plan on taking yoga anyways! The fact that many people who really need dental care either have very limited means of obtaining it or simply don't have access to it at all (from being in Guatemala and Mission Arlington). It's a shame that such a vital healthcare is treated as a 'non-necessary' service and thus not publicly financed. A lot of the time- dental care is sacrificed in an attempt to allocate money elsewhere but there's just so many things that can stem from having poor oral hygiene. The ones who need it most have a disproportionate amount of dental disease. prioritizing dental care among other health crises and basic needs of living

TEAM ASPECT. I feel like I will really enjoy the team aspect and learning to work with assistants, hygienists, front office team, and whoever else is a part of the practice. I'm also excited for many moments of just knowing that I performed a job that I had spent years preparing for in the best manner in which it could be done and that some one is benefiting from that.

I played the french horn when I was younger in intermediate school; work with various mediums in art- painting, clay, 2D drawing (even went to art competitions; really want to try photography and crocheting/sewing), and sports (tennis and flag football mainly; also did track when I was younger)

The dental clinic at Mission Arlington actually provides dental services to the underserved population!

Not having Dental insurance and people not having proper diagnosing measurements SEE ABOVE Federal law requires state Medicaid programs to include dental care for children, and the Affordable Care Act extended that requirement to private insurers. But the federal health law did little for adults: While premium tax credits were made available to help low-income people purchase health insurance, the subsidies cannot be used to purchase dental coverage except as an add-on to health coverage. No new dental benefit requirements were included for adults covered by Medicaid.

hardest part will probably be getting someone to understand the importance of a treatment regime put in place for them if they simply don't want to comply

Extremely strong interpersonal skills, empathy, academic preparation, dexterity and perceptual skills, maturity and responsibility, excellent judgment.

On a personal level, I really enjoy and get along with all types of people. On a professional level, I have respect for all individuals that work hard and maintain a professional work environment. Provided both of those are met, I will always get along with my coworkers without any personal disagreement.

Memorial Pediatric Dentistry- gap year. Proves dedication to dentistry

Waking up peacefully, grabbing coffee and taking a walk with a friend around a park. Any day having a clear mind is a day without stress and without any phones.

Not worried but definitely aware as any health professional with multiple patients should. I would more than willing to treat any patients with an infection, as I don't feel it should define whether or not the individual is worthy of proper care. I would of course take precaution in treatment to ensure safety of the patient, myself, and my other patients.

If I could go back, I would have loved to Study Abroad. One of the main reasons for not pursuing it was because I thought it would be difficult to complete my required courses in 4 years as I hoped since courses for Study Abroad can only be taken as P/F. But I wish I would have taken the time to sit down with the Study Abroad office to flesh out my goals and expectations in order to try to make something work- such as studying abroad in the summer or utilizing summers to take some of my required courses in order to make room for the opportunity to study abroad.

Calm, honest, huge storyteller, very active and loves to just go out and explore in big ways and in small ways (always wanting to go on adventures- sometimes have problems sitting still)

Honestly, I'm equally comfortable working as a member of a team and independently- its never been a problem for me to work effectively in both settings.

I don't know if I get a lot of criticism but I get asked certain questions a lot from my peers such as "why are you always so calm?" or "what are you thinking?" cause I guess I have a "pensive look?" But I also space out sometimes so that could also be it

There are small things that I wished I would have tried earlier in life (study abroad, language learning at an early age) but rather than riding them off as "disappointments" that happened long ago, I try to do the most I can now! (ex: joining an academy, self-teaching)

direct + immediate care= treat + alleviate/ address pain @ the office= quick results - flexible sched: time= comm service/ abroad + serve others, not only profession but make it my hobby as well

Sports team, school organizations ; group projects- communication is always key. Delegation of task but also the acknowledgment of the existing interdependence.

Ethics classes - small groups to discuss student decisions and why they were made - counseling: support that understands students and takes time to listen and address their needs

What do you like the most about this school? - Hardest class ; Easiest class - Are you from this state? - Do you participate in activities outside of school? - How do you like this school? - Exposed to new dental techniques or more traditional ones - Do you use technology? how updated? Cad cams/ seracs - Do you do your own lab work here? - Any graduation requirements to fulfill? - What laptop do we need? - Do you have any trouble finding patients? - Where do you live? - How is the student life here? - Classes with medical students? - What are your plans after graduation? - Any advise to give us before starting dental school? - What are you looking forward to next year? - Do you want to specialize? - Where are you from?

Where did you graduate from? - How did you come to MWU? - Are you teaching any classes here/ doing any research? - Are you originally from this state? why this state? - How do you like to spend your time/ is it very busy for you teaching here? - Current events/ news - Do you like sports?

Are there research opportunities available? - What specialty programs are available? - What is the student/ faculty ratio? - Can you describe the clinical experience here ; when it starts - What kinds of patients are served here

I've always liked the clinical aspect of dentistry. I really don't have much research experience, but one thing that I do have that most applicants don't is that I know more about running a business due to being exposed to it at a young age.

research experience

THINK

Gap Year work

piano, painting, violin, sculpting

Not studying abroad

I would recommend that that they come in more frequently for cleanings so that the damage of not flossing and brushing their teeth is not as bad as if they were to come in every 6 months. And each time I would reinforce the fact that taking oral health seriously is very important as it does impact your overall health and can eventually lead to so many other problems down the road

Gov't should not be involved in healthcare. I agree that something needs to be done for everyone to have access to healthcare, but it has to be done in a fair way. Obamacare wants universal healthcare. I don't think anyone should get something for nothing.

Yup! Specialties, teaching, research, etc.

Working with indigent people isn't something new to me and people are people regardless. From the exposure I've had at Mission Arlington, the service learning trip at Rice, etc. I know that they're is so much more than what people often see on the outside and I aim to treat everyone with the respect they deserve.

Definitely! Part of being a dentist means being a professional committed to helping others improve their oral hygiene and what's especially great is being able to witness milestones reach in relation to hygiene. I want to be available to all types of people- regardless of where they might be starting from- in order to help them all reach their goals.

Yes- joined spring semester of sophomore year

I've been able to see a little bit of the business aspect will working in a dental office as well as previous work experience.

Camp Kesem leadership-

For me, it's all about about scheduling. At the beginning of the semester, I make note of the dates of exams/quizzes for all my classes, review syllabi, etc. And from there its all about budgeting time.

It depends on the subject, but typically I always aim to independently study first. I find that afterwards, coming together as a group to review material always help. It's kinda weird but as I more comfortable with the material, I start to get more mobile(?) by that I mean I spend the first part glued to a desk or a table taking notes, reading, etc. Then after I've looked over a bit of info, I review and basically go back and forth studying and review. Then I usually start to move around and pretend like I'm teaching the material to an individual audience and start to recite stuff outloud. I also like working in groups!

I believe I would be able to handle the same career for 30 years, especially dentistry because while procedures might be similar, each patient and each day is a little different. Over the course of 30 years, I would have grown more comfortable in the profession but there is always something new to learn and discover, especially with the constant changes to our technology. And of course there's also many career paths in the field of dentistry such as teaching and research-oriented work!

The key to leadership is to lead by influence and by example, not authority. An efficient leader is also humble, a compassionate listener and a constant learner. Leadership is about empowering people and inspiring them to own their talents and bring out their best because the job of a leader is to grow more leaders! Versatility Never lose sight of the fact that it is a privilege to be a representative of your peers, as you should always be

Part of being a good dentist, in my opinion, is the ability to understand the multifaceted nature of dentistry and having both existing skills and the desire to obtain the needed skills to excel in the field. Being persistent, open-minded and flexible are a few things that have naturally framed the way I deal with things in life but I've also actively put myself in situation that would help me gain and strengthened other skills I know are neccessary and will be beneficial not only to my life but the lives I might have the opportunity to impact as a dentist. So I feel what sets me apart is this dedication that is well reflected in what I have the opportunity to take on in school and outside of the classroom setting.

My decision on committing to such a multifaceted career is exactly that- there's so many layers to dentistry and it consists of many components that I really dentistry as a profession came from the fact that being such a multifaceted career, its comprised of many components that I really value and want to surround myself with in the professional world. - Community: one-on-one patient interaction and just this realtionship that extends over a period of time, ability to work in a team setting w/ assistants, hygienists, and front staff. the need and demand for constant communication - Creativity being a big fan of sports and arts, I really wanted to devote my life to doing something hands on and creative and for me, dentistry is just that. - Variability in outreach: dentistry is not only restorative, there's also a focus on prevention as well. And I love how I can utilize my dental education later down the road- specialization, going into teaching, working in research. - Refreshing: I love having familiarity but I always aim to challenge myself in as many ways as I can. It's also a constantly changing and advancing field, especially considering the technology available to increase efficiency and patient satisfaction and I look forward to growing and advancing in my practice as the field does.

YouTube surfing, going on food adventures (Ethiopian- Injera), exercising (trying to get into running, weight lifting, blogilates)

Actually going to camp last summer

Pretty good, it's a skill that I've been able to strengthen overtime through playing tennis for 6 years, flag football for 4, playing the french horn previous to that, and in art classes (mostly 2D) but a little bit of ceramic here and there, and other randomly things such as doing hair.

Meeting Jussie Smollet!!

Tearing my acl/meniscus

- chance to get involved in research (particularly interested in _____) - selective courses ( - San Antonio itself