Dental School Interview

What do you look for in a dental school?

-Great facilities and faculty -Diverse student body -Focus on research -Opportunities for students to get involved in the community

What are the responsibilities of a dentist to a patient?

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

GPA

3.7 science 3.5

Describe the community in which you spent the majority of your early development. What core values did you receive there and how will these translate into the contributions that you will make in medical school and beyond?

A program that I am most proud of being a part in and help run is called BOLD youth ministry. This program is a part of my parish St. Elizabeths. BOLD youth ministry is a program where older teens and young adults mentor and minister younger teens. Most of what we do as BOLD leaders is help teens grow into who they want to become and allow them to express themselves in a comfortable environment. The BOLD leaders also help teens to improve themselves and become role models too. Both leaders and teens learn how to improve their interaction skills and collaborating skills. One of the most important roles as a BOLD leader is organizing our biggest retreat event for the confirmation kids. Our retreat allows all of the confirmation kids bond and find how who they really are before making their confirmation. As a leader I've grown as a person and really flourished into who I want to become, while being able to share my own life lessons with my teens. And continue to be a mentor for these times even during the COVID pandemic. The skillset I have been able to strengthen I believe would help be a health care provider that could bring the best possible treatment to my patients. Having the ability the have strong communication skills and compassion where I can build trust and the best possible treatment plan with my patient.

Schools applied to

A.T Still University BU Columbia LECOM MUSC Augusta Touro Nova Tufts UCONN Buffalo Ohio State Meharry UPENN Rutgers UF Maryland Michigan UNC New England Virginia Commonwealth West Virginia I applied to so many schools because I wanted to see what opportunities are out there, and I understand how competetive it is to get into dental school.

Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

Accessing dental care for a variety of reasons is a challenge for many Americans and dentists can take a role to addressing this issue. A meaningful experience I had was visting a local elementary school to teach students the importance of dental hygiene and oral health. I and two other hygienists taught five and six-year-old children how to properly brush their teeth. We also taught them which beverages and snacks are unhealthy to the teeth and healthy alternatives. The elementary school we had visited is in an area where most families cannot easily access dental care, and while many of these childrens' parents work one or more jobs, they are left in after school care systems. They do not have access to healthy snacks or have the money for proper dental care like 6-12 month regular check-ups and cleanings. As a future dentist I would make my best effort to participate in insurance programs, so they can deliver quality care to those with insurance, as well as volunter my time educating other dentists who are treating low-income patients. Also, as a future dentist I would make it a priority to participate in outreach programs and donating dental services. I would have the ability to give dental care to underserved individuals and communities through mobile dental care vans and other services.

Tell me about a time that your work was critized. How did you handle the negative feedback?

After receiving a poor grade on my first genetics exam I had went to my professor to observe my exam and see what I had gotten wrong, and by doing so and speaking with my professor she recommended new ways to study and how I could improve in the class. I continued to go to her office hours if I had questions on the material and by doing so my grade improved after each exam. I never turn away from feedback good or bad, because in the end we can always improve and it makes us better for it!

Is amalgam safe?

Amalgam is "silver fillings" it is considered safe but is questionable because it contains mercury

describe a moment that inspired you during shadowing or assisting

As a mentioned in my personal statement, one of the most inspirational moments I have experienced as an assistant was watching my father transform a young boys smile. His teeth were very decayed due to the lack of dental care awareness, what snacks and beverages that could cause decay. My father was able to cost effectively build a new smile with composite, and his reaction after his treatments has continued to make an impact on me. Another patient, she had come in for veneers and just even seeing the temporaries she was almost a new person. Both patients helped me see that dentistry is much more than improving oral health but also as dentists we have the artistic ability to build beautiful smiles, giving more confidence and self esteem to patients. It felt so rewarding being able to see patients smiling ear to ear and filled with such happiness.

What extracurriculars did you participate in?

BOLD youth ministry WISTEM Biology Society

What is your theme song and why?

Breathe U2, everyday is a new day

Describe me your understanding of dental caries

Dental caries are also referred to as cavities or tooth decay, a comon disease and one that is preventable. When we eat certain foods, the bacteria on your teeth breaks them down and produces acids causing damage to the tissues of tooth that result to dental caries. occlusal caries form right on top of the tooth while interproximal caries form between teeth.

Why do you want to be a dentist?

Dentistry is a career I have wanted to pursue because it is the perfect blend of art, science, and patient care. I have always been an artisitic person, and dentistry is a unique field in that is requires artisitry, as a dentist I would have the opportunity to create teeth through composites, crowns, implants, and veneers. I have learned that dentistry is much more than improving oral health, it is a way to giving patients smiles that come with confidence and self-esteem.

Who is the dean?

Dr. Charles Bartolami Dr. Mark A Reynolds Fotinos Panagakos, DMD, PhD,

What is more important ethics or the law?

Ethics and law go hand and hand with each other. But if I had to choose one over the other I would choose ethics because the law should be based off of ethicial beliefs. Ethical beliefs are what I stand behind and live my life accordingly. There could be a case where the law is not completely ethical, where we would need to follow. But ethics are what guide me, as long as my ethics do not break the law either.

What is the best day you have ever had?

Every year I usualy go with my entire family for the annual car show, my family has a passion of cars and it has been a tradition of ours. The last time I had went i waited about an hour or more to ride the Jeep obstacle ride and it was honestly some of the most fun I have had. The driver takes the Jeep up a still hill, rides many bumps, and on slants, it was very cool.

What is your favorite movie?

Guardians of the Galazy, I am a huge marvel fan

How would you friends describe you?

Honest, generous, creative, thoughtful, and hardworking

Tell me about yourself

I am a biology major at Seton Hall University, and I am from Wyckoff NJ. I have always been surrounded by dentistry because my father is a dentist, Dr. Fred Puccio. I have shadowed my father from a young age and eventually became a part-time dental assistant. I help sterilize instruments, prep and clean the rooms, and answer the phones in the front of the office. I help assist during procedures by suctioning and shadow the dentist in the practice. In addition to spending time in the dental practice, I am a mentor for young teens in my church community, and I am a painter. About 3 years ago I started a small business being a free-lance artist called Painted By Marissa. Anything my customers practically have brought me anything to paint and personalize for them, family, and friends.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I am a strong communicator, I am very organized, determined, and compassionate, and a very artisitc and creative person I can be too much of a perfectionist and could be too hard on myself sometimes

How are you a team player?

I am a team player by being a clear communicator, a good listener, and embracing collaboration. I have found it important to be a strategic and innovative thinker and remain flexible during group projects, there could always be a change in group work. When working with a group of individuals I have always been respectful and optimistic, this encourages good moral and a positive environment for group work. As a team player I have always enlisted strong organization skills to keep my roles on task, but also my group members as well. I always tell myself when working in a team to be bold, curious, fresh-minded, and embrace collaboration. When working with a team I try to assert myself, I always try to connect with my teammates, and encourage myself and my teammates to remain on task to get the project done correctly and efficiently. I try to be strategic-minded, think creatively, and always look for advancement. In order to collaborate with my teammates, I am always respectful and optimistic, I think when working in a group it is important to have a good moral and a positive work environment.

Why should we pick you over anyone else with your same qualifications?

I am a very compassionate person and I have always been willing to improve people's lives. As a dental student I am determined to help others by improving their oral health and honing in on my artisitic ability to build beautiful smiles that bring confidence for my patients.

What are you looking for in a dental school?

I am looking for a dental school that focusses strongly on the sciences and patient care. I want to attend a dental school where I can learn and engage with the most recent and cutting edge methods of care. I also am looking for a dental school that has a reputation for dental research and has great outreach programs. I would like to attend a dental school in a large city where I can take advantages of opportunities inside and outside of the classroom as well.

Every accepted student to the Class of 2024 will bring varied experiences to enhance the learning environment. If accepted, what can you teach your classmates, and in turn, what are you hoping to learn from them?

I am someone who is very compassionate and have strong communication and interpersonal skills, working in a dental practice for so many years I have learned how to help a patient feel welcome and comfortable in the dental practice and in the chair, I think I could teach my classmates how to connect with their patients. I continue to expose myself to digital dentistry and so many other procedures in dentistry that I think could help my classmates as well. While I hope to learn from others is from their own interests, backgrounds, and perspectives, I can learn new ways of communicating and different ways to advance as a dental student such as time management, organization, study habits, or learn how others learn the material.

How many hours have you shadowed at a dentist's office? Which dental offices have you shadowed?

I began shadowing at 16 years old. I have shadowed my father, Dr. Puccio, Dr. Parsol, and Dr. Bauer at Midland Family Dental for 960 hours. I have shadowed Dr. Defalco at Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for 610 hours. I have shadowed at Dr. Merlino at Todt Hill Pediatric Dentistry for 128 hours and Dr. Costello Oral Surgery Associates for 6 hours.

How did you prepare for the DAT?

I began studying in May, I took Dr. Jim Romano's course on Zoom, while using his DAT Destroyer books.

What are your faults and how will they affect your work in dental school and as a dentist?

I believe I can be very hard on myself sometimes and could be a perfectionist. I also sometimes take too many tasks at once, where I should only focus and take on a few. I don't think this affects me negatively, because I like improving always, I will just need to learn how to manage my time and organization of time.

what do you do for manual dexterity

I continue to paint, draw, and embroidery

Why did you decide to major in biology and how did this major prepare you for dental school?

I decided to major in biology because I love learning about life and how the body works. I have always been interested in medicine and learning about diseases and what may cause them, how diseases effect humans, and possible treatments. Being a biology major I have been able to take many biology electives like microbiology, anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, and most recently histology and embryology classes I was able to learn about life. I probably would not have been able to take these courses as another major, and I like how as a biology major it aligned with the pre-req courses needed for dental school.

Time felt fish out of water

I felt like a fish out of water the first day of class of Oral Communication. I was never used to speaking publicly to a large group of people, or acting in front of a large group of people. I have never been a very theatrical person or as outgoing of a person. I have always been able to connect with others well, but since I was a child I struggled connecting with a larger crowd. However, this class I learned the importance of public speaking, finding one's own voice, and I have built much stronger communication skills. By the end of the semester I loved being the volunteer to go in front of the classroom and I truly enjoyed speaking in front of a large group of individuals.

Are you interested in a specialty of dentistry?

I have not decided yet what I would like to focus on, I believe attending dental school will help me decide what I would like to focus in. But right now I am leaning towards general dentistry because I love variety, I would like to work with cosmetic and digital dentistry and I would have the opportunity of doing surgery as well like implants and extractions.

What procedures have you shadowed?

I have shadowed extractions, implants, CEREC, digital scanning, milling and design, cosmetic cases, root cancels, and even block graphs. My favorite would be observing a block bone graph procedure. I have always been interested in surgery.

How do you cope with stress, and how do you plan on coping with stress from dental school? Statistics reveal that a large percentage of physicians will experience burnout at different points in their career. Stress levels can even start to rise early on in medical school. Physicians must take care of themselves optimally in order to take optimal care of their patients. Please describe how you will handle stress in medical school and your plans to prevent burnout.

I like to cope with stress by painting, physical exercise, and journaling. Art and journaling has been a way I could express myself and my feelings and think creatively, and physical exercise has been a way to relieve my stress by walking and riding on my pelaton bike. Exercise increases overall health, sense of well-being, and connects the mind to the body. I will continue this through dental school as ways to relieve stress.

How do you spend your free time?

I spend the majority of my free time shadowing and assisting, but I also spend my time painting for my small business. It has been a way I can destress but also continue to work with my dexterity skills and continue my passion for art. On Sundays I volunteer my time at my local church mentoring teens in BOLD youth ministry.

What are your study habits?

I study the material as I go along with the course, I like hand-writing my notes and study guides or create flash cards, I usually re-listen to my lectures and re-read my textbook. I am a very visual learner and I have always drawn out pathways or images on my white board at home or if im in a study room in the library. I also like to work in study groups to dicuss the material with my classmates. Even having my course remotely, my classmates and I have studied together over Zoom and it always help grasp the material more deeply and concretely.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

I think my background in art would make my application incomplete without it. My artistic side is what helps me express myself, delve into my creative mind, and allows me to use my hands to create something that is beautiful and functional. I believe have an artistic skillset that is vital for a career in dentistry. I have been fortunate enough to have a father who is a dentist and who focuses on cosmetic dentistry. What I have learned from him is that dentists require an eye for fine detail while also having artistic hands. Dentists are artists in a sense because they can create gorgeous smiles to give a patient confidence and improve oral health. Dentistry is much more than just While continuing to pursue a career in dentistry, I still use art as a way I could give back to my local community. Almost three years ago I created a small business called Painted by Marissa. With my artistic abilities, I am able to bring smiles and joy to my customers by providing them with unique and customized art. I hope one day as a future dentist I could continue to help and give confidence to my patients by creating smiles with composite, crowns, veneers, and implants.

What do you think your biggest challenge will be in dental school?

I think my biggest challenge will be the transition of academics from undergrad to dental school. Dental school is unique in that procedures and methods of care of continue to evolve and this could be overwhelming and the rigor of academics is unlike the rigor of undergrad. I know by remaining flexible and continuing to adapt to the new environment and course load I can thrive as a dental student. I will also need to practice balancing between my academics and social life. I plan to do so through my time management and organizing my time.

What is your greatest achievement thus far?

I think my greatest achieve thus far would be excellling in my courses this past semster while remaining remote. I learned a lot from my spring 2020 semester during the beginning of the pandemic, and from learning my mistakes I was able to improve how I study and the learning environment I have made at home. This taught me to become a more independent and adaptive learner and I learned how to manage my time while studying at home, working part time at the dental office, and participating in extracurriculars remotely.

Do you think that current technology is absolutely essential to practice effective dentistry?

I think technology is an advantage in the field of dentistry, providing better and advanced care from the least to most complex procedures.

What do you think the number one important trait for a dentist to have is?

I think the most important trait for a dentist is communication and interpersonal skills, they are what help you stand out compared to other healthcare providers. Dentists should have the ability to provide comfort to their patients and remain sensitive to the patient's oral health. Having strong communication skills are what build close relationships with your patients and allow your patient to express their concerns and opinions about their oral health care. This brings the best possible treatment plan and outcome.

Tell me about a time that you took a leadership position?

I volunteer on Sundays at my local church and I am a CAST member for the BOLD youth minister program. I mentor young teens, help plan weekly events and yearly retreats. As a CAST member and a youth minister in the program I have been given a group of teens that I have had the opportunity to build relationships with and it has been a place where teens can express themselves in a comfortable environment, and build their faith and relationship with God.

Why have you chosen to apply to WVU SOM? What opportunities do you foresee yourself taking advantage of during your time here? why did you choose WVU?

I want to go to a dental school where I can become well-rounded and a future dentist where I can bring the most new and advanced methods of care to my patients, and at WVU I really admire your dental innovation center. From learning about your innovation center dental students can learn private practice and can work one on one with their patients. Also, as dentistry continues to advance in technology, WVU has made an initiative to valye these changes by providing their students state of the art modernized facilities. Your dental students can build their knowledge of digital dentistry using CEREC. As a future dental student I would like to become involved in research and your DDS program requires all students to become involved in research. Working on dental research would continue to broaden my wealth of knowledge in dentistry and continue strengthen my skills as a health care provider. Another really important aspect to why I want to go to your dental school is that your program encourages students to become in outreach. I really admire how dental students have so many opportunities for community outreach to provide dental care to the underdeserved. Because one of the biggest issues in dentistry right now is the growing population unable to easily access or afford dental care, I would like to become a part of the initive to increase awareness and provide dental care to those who need it most.

Were you happy with your DAT score? If not why? What was your lowest DAT section score and why?

I was not extremely happy with my DAT score, I honesly think it does not accurate display who I am as a student. I had an off day on the day of my exam, right before my exam the testing center had called me and told me I was not allowed to take the exam. They mistaken my identity with someone else. If i were to take the DAT again, I would focus much more on my timing in each section and take more practice tests. I thought I could have done better in the quantative reasoning and the general chemistry section. I had run out of time in both sections and I think I could have excelled if I had practiced my timing skills more. I also was just not in a clear mind set because what had happened before my exam. However, I do beleive my transcript accurately demonstrates who I am as a student, I am a dedicated learner and I possess a very strong work ethic and discipline required for dental school.

If you receive a failing grade on your first exam, how will you improve your score?

I will find out holes in my study habits of what caused my failing grade, and analyze how my study habits could be improved for future exams. There is always room for improvement and having the ability to adapt and remain open minded to new ways of studying will help me excel in my classes. I also never turn away from criticism, good and bad critcism is what helps us learn and continue to improve as individuals.

If you could meet someone famous and have dinner who would it be?

I wish I could meet Jerry Seinfield because he is one of my favorite comedians. I also admire how he started the organization GOOD+ and the Seinfield Family Foundation to help alleviate poverty, and help bring education and health to children and adults.

Why did you withdraw from a class?

I withdrew from gen chem 1 at Fairfield, I did so because I found it to be a difficult class and I knew I needed clarification of some topics, and my professor and TA had schedules that conflicted with my class schedule so I felt like I wouldn't excel like I knew I could. After I transfered to Seton Hall I received As in my gen chem 1 and gen chem 2 courses.

What would you do if you won a million dollars today?

I would give a portion to the American Cancer Society, many family members and close friends and my boyfriend have been diagnosed with cancer and I have raised and donated money to the American Cancer Society since high school. I would give a portion to my parents who have supported me my whole life. I would put a portion towards my future children in a bank account., and if I had anything left I would buy my dream car, a Porsche 911 Turbo in midnight blue.

How will you cope if you are faced with a malpractice suit?

I would let the malpractice insurance company take care of it and follow their advice. However, I would avoid malpractice suits by never deviating from standard care, documenting treatment, and practicing do no harm.

If you could not got to dental school, what career would you pursue?

If I could not go to dental school I would apply to nursing school and pursue ot become a nurse practioner because I have the passion for providing care for others.

What is your opinion of whitening treatments?

It is a conservative approach to brightening a smile. Everyone drinks coffee, tea, or even red wine that stains. Whitening is a more conservative option than prepping teeth for veneers that are irreversible.

whats the difference between manual dexterity and eye hand coordination

Manual dexterity is ability to use your hands in a skillful and detailed manner, it is how we grasp and manipulate the objects in our hands to make small and precise movements. As dentists we need to be able to work with precision on a smal scale within the mouth and surfaces of the tooth. Eye hand coordination is important to ensure safety of the patient in the dental chair and the integirty of the profession. Hand-eye coordination is the ability to do activities that require the simulataneous use of your hands and eyes. The information of what our eyes perceive to guide our hands to carry out movement.

Is your family supportive of your decision to become a dentist?

My family has been extremely supportive of my decision to become a dentist, especially my father. In the beginning when I was researching career paths and when I wanted to shadow at the office, my father was so excited. I have been fortunate to have a parent and a mentor in the field of dentistry, known to teach the most advanced cosmetic and implant dentistry procedures.

Who is your mentor?

My mentor is my father, he has taught me all I know of dentistry, and has continued to motivate me and given me great advice since I began pursing dentistry. He has showed me the most advanced dentistry possible and I am very fortunate for that. He has taught me more than just procedures, but also from observing him I have learned how to comfort and speak to patients, learning how to build my communication skills and learning the importance of patient care.

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

My personal mission has been to give back to others and blending that aspiration with my passion of painting. Since I was younger I struggled with expressing who I was to others and lacked strong communication skills. Despite this I found different mediums to help me grow. Through art, community service and volunteering, and pushing myself academically in public speaking and debate classes, I blossomed into a confidence young woman. Dentistry has been a career I have wanted to pursue since I was a teenager because it truly encompasses the mastery of art, science, and providing care to others. Dentistry continues to build my intrapersonal and interpersonal skills through interaction with patients and colleagues, and I am applying to my knowledge of medicine while caring for others. Dentistry allows me to continue my passion for art, I have the unique ability and opportunity to create teeth through composite, crowns, implants, and veneers. I have learned that dentistry is more than just helping patients improve their hygiene and oral health, having a smile gives us confidence. I hope through my knowledge of medicine, science, and artistry, I want to be able to help people just like me who have struggled with expressing themselves and obtaining confidence. I can build and improve a person's confidence through knowledge of science, medicine, and artistry.

What are your long term and short term goals?

My short term goals would be to get into dental school and learn as much as possible. I want to be able to engage with my fellow peers and become a well rounded and experienced dentist. I would like to find where in the dental field I would like to focus on. My long term goal would be to work on the skill set needed for the field I woudl like to focus on and start my own dental practice one day.

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Social media is a double-edged sword in that it can help liberate individuals by being a vehicle of social change or oppress individuals. Social media can bring awareness to the institutions that cause oppression in social, political, cultural, and economic spheres. However, social media can create norms or perspectives that can cause anxiety and suffering as well. For example, today, social media focuses on appearance and lifestyle. Many young girls see a particular body image and look they must achieve to look pretty or wear certain clothes to appeal to others. It does not help that TV shows, movies, and advertisements all depict one body type. Consequently, this sends a message to young girls becoming self-conscious of their appearance unless they conform to the mainstream culture. Overall, I wanted to emphasize within society we do not always recognize we are subjected to certain ideologies that are embedded in social, political, and cultural spheres. If we never address these ideologies, it is unlikely to heal from suffering. I think by reflecting all aspects of our life and finding what we are subjected to can releive us from this suffering.

Issues in dentistry

The challenge is administering healthcare to a growing population in a well-organized and effective manner in spite of corporations corporatize dentistry and dictate the types of services rendered to patients that may not be in the best interest of the patient. Another challenge the number of people who cannot easily access dental care. Dentists could continue to combat this issue by being a part of outreach programs.

What are you currently reading? What was the last book you read? What is your favorite book? Who is your favorite author?

The last book I read was Sebastian Maniscalco's book Stay Hungry. I just purchased Beautful Ruins, a book my cousin was reading and recommended me to pick it up. I have not started it but it is about a love affair in the 1960s on the coast of Italy and resurfaces in contemporary Hollywood. Favorite author, I don't really have a favorite, I kinda read anything

What is the lowest score you received and why?

The lowest score I have received would be my physics 2 grade. My class was transitioned to remote due to the covid 19 pandemic, which contributed to a learning curve spring semester. I had difficulty getting in touch with my physics professor for office hours, and it was challenging to learn the material when it required hands-on and in person learning. My experiences of being remote during COVID have taught me resilience and adaptation in learning. We were all forced to create new learning skills and study habits while being remote. And the spring semester was hard on all of us, students, professors, and administrators. But i realized that in these times one learns to flourish and become stronger individuals for it. I took what I learned from my spring semester and with improved study habits and an improved learning environment at home I excelled in all of my courses last semester.

What is the most difficult decision you have ever had to make? What resources did you use to help make that decision?

The most difficult decision I have had to make is deciding whether to transfer out of Fairfield Univeristy. Even though I had a great experience at Fairfield, and was fortune enough to meet such great people, I believe it was one of the best decisions I have made. I did not believe Fairfield was a perfect fit for me socially and academically, I decieded to transfer to Seton Hall because they have such a strong biology program that is closer to home, and Seton Hall has much more opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. I was able to have more opportunities for research and participate in more extracurriculars I enjoyed.

What improvements do you want to make yourself at dental school?

There is always room for improvement, and I will need to continue to reflect and find ways to improve my study habits and adjust to the rigor of dental school courses. I have always been determined and maintained a strong work ethic.

Have you ever been involved in an ethical situation and how did you handle it?

Throughout the pandemic, many of my friends have been traveling, asking to hang out, or having parties. I have always decided to stay home because I have family members who are immune-compromised and my father works as a dentist. I have always tried to limit exposure to my family to prevent the spread of COVID. Someone I knew who went to the party contracted COVID who was asymptomatic and wanted to see a friend of mine and I felt I needed to tell that friend. I did not want to tattletale but I knew it was wrong to let that friend infect others. It is a scenario that is continuing to happen in my age group. Many people did not want to ruin friendships, but I knew compared to the health and safety of my loved ones was more important.

Why UMD?

UMD has great facilities and faculty UMD has a great reputation of research I value the school takes importance of diversity, allowing students to engage inside and outside of the classroom or clinic by becoming involved in student organizations and community outreach student organizations I am interested in is digital dentistry club and American association of women dentists

Extracurricular activity most rewarding

Visiting a local elementary school. Myself and other dental hygients that work in the practice we taught elemenatry school students how to brush their teeth properly and we discussed beveraged and foods that are unhealthy and healthy alternatives. Many of the children came from families who cannot easily access dental care and many of their parents work one or more jobs and left in after school care systems. They do not have access to healthy snacls or have the money for proper dental care. This experience made me realize the importance of providing services to the underprivileged. Unless the dental community takes a true initiative in providing care, these children will not obtain any dental treatment.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

When I took biochemistry my junior year, I truly loved learning the different metabolic pathways, I loved how they all relate to a big picture and how they all connect with one another. Dr. Nichols really encouraged myself and my classmates to dive into the material because it is so important as future health care providers. I always asked him questions during lecture or during office hours about metabolic pathways. I found it really vital to recognize how these pathways are in connection to different conditions and diseases. When I took biochemistry we focused how many metabolic pathways could be affected by diabetes near the end of the semester. Diabetes is a disease that affects such a large population and I found it interesting to research on my own how diabetes could affect our oral health. Information I would like to learn more about is how success rates of implants could be affected my diabetes. Overall, biochemistry and implants are two fields that have always been an interest to me and I have been curious how they connect.

Are you interested in participating in research in dental school?

Yes I am interested in research. NYUCD has the reputation of the most cutting edge research. I would be interested in any focus of research, but if I had the opportunity, I would love to research in biomaterials. When researching dental schools, Dr. Coelho's research was very interesting to me and I was interested in his research on preclinical evaluation of implants. Yes I am interested in research. UMD has a reputation of the most cutting edge research. When researching dental schools I was impressed by UMD's Deal Advance Chronic Pain Research Department because it is so world-renowned. Something that I really admire about WVU is that your program requires students to become involved in research, and I think this helps students become much more knowledgeable in new and evolving techniques and methods of care in dentistry, and this helps dental students become much more well-rounded healthcare providers. Some fields of dentistry I have been interested in are implants, sleep apnea, and pain management.

Do you consider yourself a people person?

Yes I do consider myself a people person, I have always deticated myself to helping and connecting with people. I have strong communication skills and have always been a team player. My experiences in the dental field, my undergraduate career, and volunteering as a mentor has helped me build the skill set needed as a healthcare professional.

Have you been in research?

Yes, I have been in research with Dr. Gantar during my junior year, we confucted Anti-Cancer Activity of BIM compounds (Bis 3 indolyl 1 p substituted phenyl methanes) , they are PPAR gamma agonists that decrease cell survival and induce apoptosis in human cancer cell lines. They also increase concentration of tumor suppressor proteins. For this research we used cancer cell lines liek glioblastoma cell lines and I tested several different BIM compounds and measured affect of cell proliferation.

Tell me about a disappoint you've experienced

a disappointment I have experienced would be receiving my first genetics exam grade, I had done poorly for the first time on an exam in my undergraduate career. After receiving my grade I had went to my professor Dr. Gantar to go over my exam with her, I learned new ways of studying for the future exams. I gradually improved on my other exams and I was happy that i had this experience much earlier in my undergraduate career because I learned every class requires unique study habits or ways to work with the material. Also, by continuing to go to Dr. Gantar for office hours I built a closer relationship with her and eventually worked with her in her research lab.

If you were a kitchen utensil what would you be?

blender

Name dental specialties

endodontics orthodontics pediatrics periodontics prosthodontics oral and maxillogacial pathology, radiology, surgery dental public health

if you were an icecream flabor what would you be?

mint chocolate chip, its a classic with a twist!

list three positives and three negatives for dentistry

positives: -artistic side of medicine -its a field that is constantly evolving -working as a part of a team negatives: -dental school is expensive and requires a lot of discipline -there are physical stresses and risks -dental insurance and corporate dentistry

Things I have been working on right now

practicing drawing teeth and smiles practicing scanning and milling with Dentspy Sirona Primescan I have watched dental lectures with my father on CAD/CAM digital dentistry and implant dentistry and also observed botox and filler courses I have collect PPE and donated to local hospital and medical facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to shadow and assist at Midland Family Dental and Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

What has been your most humbling experience, and how will that experience affect your interactions with your peers and patients?

veneer patient?