A How-To Guide to becoming a Dentist
Learn the ins and outs of studying for, choosing, and applying to dental school.
It has been sometime since I wrote a blog post, but there are several aspiring dentists reading this page from all around the world. Let me know if you have a topic you would like me to address or talk about by replying to this blog post or emailing me. I hope you all are having a nice productive summer whether you are working on your academic goals or taking time for yourself and family.
To all those affected by the California Wildfires my thoughts are with you.
They will be everywhere. Haters. Naysayers. Those who will spread fear and doubt. Definition: a person who habitually expresses negative or pessimistic views. These people take many forms. They can be your acquaintances, close friends, or even your own family. It is okay keep them around. They will make you stronger in your goals. You will want to prove them wrong. It is always good to be around people that doubt you. Keep them in the periphery. Every now and then you need to hear the doubt to make you work harder to set your future path in place. Just remember, use their doubt as fuel to drive you forward. Prove them wrong.
I just found out that UCLA was on Forbes list for best value colleges. Number one! That means first place in the country! I always knew my roots. I came from an institution that was first to 100 NCAA champions. Kareem Abdul Jabbar spoke at my commencement ceremony. Greatness was in my DNA from my families history risking their lives to come to this country. Then I went onto USC Dental School that had a rich history of dentistry. I knew my ability and I was confident.
There will always be people that want to cut you down. Break your confidence. I had a small gap in my career before starting the Army. People asked if I was nervous. I was not. Does a dentist forget how to do dentistry after they take a vacation or after the weekend? You can see where I am going with this.
I just wanted to remind everyone to stay true to themselves. Don't worry what the person next to you is doing. Focus on yourself. That is all you can control. Negativity may be around you, but don't let it get you down. Focus on your goals. Focus on the finish. Know yourself, where you came from, and where you are going!
Your path to becoming a dentist does not have to be linear. In fact Dental Schools and dentists encourage you to shadow dentistry to see if the profession is right for you. Dentistry is a field where you have to use your problem solving skills daily while managing staff as well as scared patients.
I choose to highlight my mentor, Dr. Cheryl Goldasich and her unique path to dentistry. Dentists like Dr Cheryl Goldasich. help make USC Dental School a wonderful place to learn and practice dentistry. I hope you gain as much wisdom from Dr. Goldasich as I have throughout my mentorship and our friendship.
Q: Why did you want to go into dentistry?
A: I started out in the dental office in 1974 working for my father, a general dentist, when I was 14 years old as a part time, after school job. It was meant to teach me responsibility and allow me to earn a whomping $5.00 an hour. At that time dentistry was simply a way for me to pay for my horse activities. I was very involved with horses and showing and dentistry wasn't on my radar as a career choice at that time.
Q: Why did you choose to open up your own practice?
A: I chose to become a dentist after assisting for my father for 17 years and seeing excellent dentistry. As I started to work for my father's associates I could easily tell the difference between his work and theirs. I knew I was in trouble when I could spot something that a dentist missed or when I knew that another dentist had done substandard dentistry on one of my father's patients. If I hadn't gone back to school to become a dentist I wouldn't have been able to survive in dentistry because I would have judged the work of a dentist I was assisting for and been fired.
Q: Did you always want to open up your own practice?
A: I opened up my own practice after two years of working for other dentists because I had ethical issues in other offices and I wanted to to things the way my dad did them, which was exactly the same as what I was taught at USC School of Dentistry. The decision to open my own practice was an easy one because I wanted to have control over the quality of service patients of mine received and that was the only way.
Q: Was it hard being a women, having a family and having your own practice?
A: Being a mother, a woman and a business owner is somewhat difficult and if I were a single parent I wouldn't have done it. The fact that my husband is my partner and accountant in the business makes it possible for me to focus on the dentistry and not the bills.
Q: What are challenges you find in dentistry?
A: Dentistry is facing many challenges today. Dental insurance covers the same monetary amount they did thirty years ago, between $1000 and $2000 per year. Unfortunately, dental treatment has gone up in price as has everything else in this economy. I would like to see dental insurance change with the changing times so that it is actually a benefit to people. Also, new dentists are facing challenges in dentistry that I don't have to face. They are now finding that employers are looking to hire dentists who can do third molar extractions, molar root canals, flap surgeries and so on. This puts more pressure on new dentists to do things that may be beyond their scope of training. With student debt being so high today I think it encourages aggressive diagnosing in order to keep a job or get paid enough to live and repay student loans.
Q: What advice do you give to young dentist?
A: My number one piece of advice is this; If you are hired by an office and you find that they recommend doing things in a way that you find is unethical or in any other way below the standard of care ( or flies in the face of what we taught you at USC) then that office is probably not a good fit for you and you should leave.
Q: What advice do you give to young pre-dentals? Young Women?
A: Predental students should apply to schools that have lower tuition in addition to the top private schools. As much as I love USC, they are the most expensive dental school in the country and that needs to be considered in today's economy. If you are going to apply to dental school today, shadow more than one dentist and maybe a specialist or two so that you have a really good idea what you are getting into.
Young women are the future of dentistry. I believe that a woman can raise a family and support that family as a dentist and dentistry is a really good career for young women today. My advice is "go for it!"
Q: When you went to school what the ratio of male to female?
A: When I attended USC in the mid-late nineties the ratio of male to female was 65/35. I understand that, today the ratio is 50/50. At some point I would expect to see more females in dentistry than males. Dentistry and most health care related fields seem to favor women. Women are very good at delivering care to others and the majority of people selecting health care providers for their families are women.
Q: In the beginning of my job search in civilian dentistry I was wondering if men and women get equal pay in dentistry. What was your experience? What are your thoughts?
A: Men and women get paid the same in dentistry today. Dentists get either a salary with or without a percentage. After a certain production amount is achieved, the dentist is compensated purely on percentage. Salaries don’t seem to be affected by gender.
Q: Correct me if I am wrong. Were you age 31 when you entered dental school? You said you worked for your dad at age 14, so I did the math. 17 years of assisting.. that means you entered dental school at age 31? I have heard that you did not have a linear path into dental school. I really like that about you. Did you have to go back to school to take science classes in order to get into dental school? Where did you go for your undergraduate degree? I remember you said that you had a "special acceptance."
A: I was 32 when I started undergrad and 36 when I entered USC in 1995. I graduated at the ripe old age of 40. I was the second oldest dental student in my class. I had no undergrad degree. My major was "predent". My main school for undergrad was Harbor College in Wilmington, Ca. I was accepted to USC based on my GPA, my DAT test scores and my father's aquatinence of the then dean of the dental school, Dr. Howard Landesman. When my dad and I met in Dr. Landesman's office prior to my acceptance he asked me if I had any questions for him. Since my DAT test was still "pending" I asked him "what DAT test score are you looking for, doctor?" His answer was unforgettable; he said "Cheryl, I'm not going to tell you. The fact is, if we like you, you're IN, regardless of the DAT test and, if we don't like you, you're OUT, regardless of the DAT. That being said, welcome to USC!" He then reached out his hand and shook mine. It was to this day the best day of my life.
After seeing Dr. Goldasich’s response about dentistry today changing because of current dental insurance benefits having a maximum pay out of $1000-2000, the same as from 1970s. I was shocked.
After I left the military I job searched around and I choose specifically not to work for corporate dentistry. I wanted to try private practice to use my skills in CAD/CAM Dentistry to help my patients get one day crown deliveries in the civilian world. I found that it was difficult to find dental practices that had the digital dentistry technology, but they were around I just had to be patient in finding the offices.
I learned a lot more about dental insurances, something that I never had to deal with in my time in the military. After educating myself I believe that it is in the interest of the public to know that their dental insurance is only a coupon for benefits. A sort of coupon that covers exams, cleanings and x-rays only. There is a small discount on dental treatment, but the 1K maximum pay out does not go far, and the rest is up to the patient to pay. I really like this video that Dr. Mangrum from the Petaluma Dental Group has made to educate her patients. I specifically choose to work in dental offices that put the patient’s oral healthcare first in dictating treatment rather than revolving around insurance plans.
I gravitated as a dental student to Dr. Goldasich and have kept in contact with her throughout my career in the military. I was impressed with her attention to the moral code of a dentist that reflects in her patient care and well managed office. Dr. Goldasich practices in Torrance, Ca and volunteers one day a week at USC Dentistry to help mentor young dental students in their clinical abilities.
I hope you all can find a great mentor like Dr. Goldasich.
2017. So much has happened.
I began the year in the Army in Oklahoma and ended it as a free civilian in Los Angeles. I watched a solar eclipse in totality, and then watched the SpaceX rocket launch from the Los Angeles freeway while driving in traffic.
Everyone said that you may get a little depressed when you leave the service, and I really thought that was just bologna, but with any life changes there is discomfort which takes adjustment. I never thought in a million years that I would miss the Army, but their are some aspects of the machine that I do miss. I miss the camaraderie of being in a team. I miss the early morning workouts outside. The morning fog lifting up and the sun breaking through the clouds was majestic. I thank Uncle Sam for those beautiful moments, getting me up that early to “work on my fitness”. The rest of the world was still sleeping, but us soldiers we were outside sweating it out and yelling even if it was below 0 degrees. It was liberating running those two miles in under 18 minutes at age 30. I kept thinking ‘I can still keep up with the 18 year olds.”
It was an adjustment the first few weeks of freedom especially when I decided to take my first trip to Seattle, Washington, and then to Portland, Oregon to watch the Solar Eclipse. I just went. I did not have to put in paperwork to “request for permission” to leave the area.
Seeing the Eclipse in totality was a beautiful moment. It represented the closing of a chapter and starting another--life outside of the Army as a civilian dentist in Southern California. Seeing the ring of light around the moon and directly looking at the sun was magical and helped me to put things in perspective. Earth, Moon, Sun. We were all in alignment.
I am thankful for my experiences after working on the soldiers for over 4 years. The Army gave me my autonomy. I am able to pick and choose where I want to work instead of being driven by my salary. This is a true blessing and one that was provided by my civic service. In a way serving gave me my true freedom as a civilian.
I took a sabbatical after I left the Army to be with family. I was able to focus on things that I truly value such a my relationships. I took a break from the GYDO blog, but recently this Christmas I received a nice email from a reader which encouraged me to write a 2017 reflection, 2018 aspirations post.
Change is difficult, but transitions happen slowly over time. I have re-adjusted to the fast pace lifestyle that Los Angeles inhabits with the ebb and flow of the freeway congestion, as well as brushed up on my Spanish.
I hope this reaches anyone that has had any life changes. It takes time and it is truly an adjustment. I look forward to a wonderful 2018 where I can make my own decisions as a civilian.
To all of you out there reading and prospective dentists- make this 2018 year productive and fill it with intention towards a bright future.
I have been MIA recently because I am currently transitioning out of the Army. The Army has been a fun time in my life, and I gained a lot of great dental experience through my intentional practice.
I learned a lot about:
1. Teamwork
2. Having a real job
3. Patient Management
4. Staff Management
5. Life
Teamwork: I learned that you and your dental assistant are a team. Your dental assistant sets the tempo for how efficient your dental practice can be. If everything is ready to go, then things can run smoothly and fast. You have to build this trust over time.
Having a real job: You should try to arrive 15 minutes early or at least on time. This is a job that you and co-workers have to go to everyday. Make it a pleasant place for everyone... positivity is key.
Patient Management: I performed comprehensive cosmetic dental work on active duty soldiers. In the Army medical and dental treatment are free for active duty soldiers. The patient does not pay for the treatment. Sometimes I felt that the patient took this for granted and missed their appointments. I learned after a few patients that you must get commitment from the patient. This was achieved after he/she showed that he/she was reliable after the case presentation, photos, and workup. These patients rarely missed their appointments.
Staff Management: You cannot be a great dentist if you are not good a leader. The dentist is the conductor. You have to learn how to manage people and ask them to do things in a nice polite manner. Micromanaging people causes for a bad work environment, however you should make sure the task was finished.
Life: You are working with a dental team of assistants, front desk staff, and hygienists... as well as your patient. Everyone has their own life and problems to deal with. Things come up, such as emergencies and you have to be flexible. Life happens, try to support one another.
Now that I finished my tangent... I will get to the meat of this blog post. The steps to apply for an HPSP Scholarship.
1. Find an Army recruiter
2. Get your Letters of Recommendation ready
3. Find references of people that have known you for a long time
4. Essay on why you want to join the Army
5. Transcripts
Find an Army recruiter: this is key. Your recruiter determines how smoothly things run. I was on the fence about joining the Army and my recruiter arranged for a trip to see an Army dental clinic and get my medical evaluation done. My recruiter treated me very well and made sure everything was processed quickly.
At the time I applied we were in war and the Army, Air Force, and Navy were heavily recruiting. All the AF scholarships were gone. The Army and Navy had a few left. I was between the two branches. I choose the Army over the Navy because of my Army recruiter. He had everything finished and ready for me to join while the Navy recruiter was MIA (missing in action). I wanted to join asap and the Army made it happen. Also, a part of me didn't want to be deployed on a boat. Looking back on it now, all my friends that were in the Navy did not end up on ships.
Letters of Recommendation: I asked all the people that wrote me a letter of recommendation (LOR) for dental school to tweak it for the Army HPSP scholarship. The LOR should help support that you will make a good officer.
References: You have to fill out a lot of paperwork for the Army. In this paperwork they ask for references that have known you for a long time. The Army asks for their phone number and address I believe. I applied a long time ago... so this may have changed.
Essay: You need to submit an essay on why you want to join the Army, Navy, or Air Force. I believe applying to all branches is very similar.... again it has been some time since I applied.
Transcripts: You have to provide official transcripts of your past education. This includes high school, college/university or other applicable transcripts.
Among the HPSP Scholarships the Air Force (AF) has the least to give because it is the smallest branch. This makes the AF more selective. In the past, you needed a higher GPA and if you had a medical condition, such as a prior surgery, it would be very difficult for this to get cleared for scholarship acceptance.
In terms of HPSP scholarships, the Army has the most to give. There are only a select number of scholarships every year so apply early and accept soon if this is what you want..
I applied and was accepted for the Army HPSP scholarship. It took me awhile to make my decision. I waited...contemplating what I should do, because of this I missed my opportunity for a 4 years scholarship (4 years of paid tuition). Instead, I accepted a 3.5 year scholarship, which I was happy to have the option to have.
Good luck with your application process!
I hope everyone is making use of their summer with some relaxation, self reflection, and self improvement. Enjoy!
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By the way… did you know that Oral Sex Can Lead to Oral Cancer?
This has been a post that I have been wanting to write since I figured out the name for my website. I found it only appropriate to write this the day after March for Science.
In order to become dentists we have to take a heavy load of science courses. We are medical professionals, machinist, psychologists, and artists all at once. To our patients we are oral health care professionals. We treat their pain. Today the scientific data wins.
In the last few years there has been several research studies linking oral and pharyngeal (tongue, throat, mouth) cancer to HPV ( human papillomavirus). How is this linked? You do the math. ORAL SEX.
This topic can be seen as taboo in our industry because the more I practice dentistry, I find that it is a highly conservative field. No one wants to talk about oral sex leading to oral cancer in their office. I get it, but I am writing this article to break the taboo. We SHOULD be talking about this.
With today’s fast paced interconnected society where you can meet potential dates and partners by a click, swipe, or tap (tinder, bumble, and coffee meets bagel). I truly believe that people are being more active… sexually.
The research shows that the rate of oral cancer in young adults (<40) related to HPV is increasing. The ratio of males to females diagnosed with oral cancer is 2:1. (Rhodus, Et Al 2005).
CNN came out with an article April 6, 2017 that “more than 1 in 5 adults has cancer causing HPV”
It has been suggested that oral cancer relating to HPV will surpass cancer relating to tobacco use.
After meeting Dr. Rhodus, while at an Army CE lecture on Oral Pathology late in 2016, I asked why isn’t this topic being talked about. The evidence was out there. The ADA is aware, but there just has not been a campaign to talk about this. Dr. Rhodus was also frustrated at the situation. The situation is what it is--Not being discussed.
H P V X O R A L C A N C E R
I am now bringing the topic to the table in hopes that this will encourage the new generation of dentists to speak to their patients about the link between HPV and oral health.
If you are reading this, I encourage you to bring up HPV relating to oral cancer to your patients. This can be done during your head neck examination when you advise your patient about the link between oral cancer and tobacco use. i.e. “Research has found the link between HPV and oral cancer…”
I do this with my patients and it goes over just fine… I tell them, "As an oral health care professional it is my duty to inform you of this risk." The patients thank me afterwards.
The data and research speaks for itself. There is a relationship...as scientist we cannot say there is a direct cause because there are other factors to consider, however the link is present.
I see this as a public health issue that needs to be addressed through education. Therefore we should educate our patients, friends, and family.
Hello Dr. Loi,
As someone interested in the HPSP, I have browsed the SDN forums for info about HPSP and I have looked at your website and your posts on SDN. I am wondering what the Army dentist life is like, and also if you have any advice for me as I am about to start the HPSP application process this June.
Thank you,
J
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Hi J,
I have received a lot of questions about what a normal Army day is like. First off, I have to remind everyone that while I have been serving on active duty, I have not been deployed. From 2013-2014 the Army reduced its numbers. This means that when I came on active duty there was a lot less work to do and few deployment opportunities. While I have been on active duty, deployments have been strictly voluntary. Generally, soldiers/officers volunteer for a few reasons:
To look good on their residency application
To get away from a bad situation (duty station, direct supervisor, commander etc)
To get promoted
Patriotic duty
The experience - the adventurous personality type
Tax free income
If no one volunteers then a name is picked off a list, with the most senior officers (that have not deployed) at the top. There has always been a volunteer since I have been active duty.
As for what a typical day is like, this is a detailed account of my typical week as an active duty Army Captain, dentist stateside.
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday our unit, the soldiers that make up the dental activity (the soldiers that are all involved in making the dental clinics run) work out together in organized Physical Training (PT) for one hour in the beginning of the day. This varies from base to base depending on the commander’s preference.
It is dark outside when I wake up one hour before “formation,” the time everyone has to show up for accountability. In the Army you always want to be early so I make sure I am at the location at least ten minutes in advance. “Hurry up and wait.” You learn this early on in your Army career.
If there is one thing you don’t want to do in the Army, it would be to be LATE to unit formation. Your name will embarrasing called out as “unaccounted” for and people will laugh as you walk up. Depending on how militant your superior is he or she may chew you out for tardiness. You are a solider first, doctor/dentist second; the Army loves to tell you this. On these occasions you will remind yourself that the Army paid for your dental education (wink).. Your superior’s personality will dictate how militant the climate is at the base. Some officers/dentists are really into military bearing and some that just want to practice dentistry. The rule of thumb is to always be on time.
Physical training consists of light stretching, push-up and sit-up drills, followed by running or walking for the injured. We end with a cool down stretch as a group and are “dismissed.” It reminds me of organized PE in high school, only now it starts and ends in the dark morning, and I am wearing a grey ARMY shirt. The unit is trying to get ready for our annual PT test. You are tested once if not twice a year, with a height and weight. Remember you’re Army property.
After working out I get one and a half hours for personal hygiene. This includes travel time. I drive home to shower and eat breakfast. I then go to the dental clinic to work where I find out that one of the hygienists called out sick. I have to do her cleanings to “cover down.”
Do I want to do the cleanings? No. Cleanings are not fun for general dentists, but it is my duty to keep the mission going. You will find that when you are an active duty captain you have to be flexible and go with the flow. The mission comes first, and our mission is to keep the soldiers healthy for deployment.
While I am doing the hygienist's cleanings I also have to do the 16 other hygiene exams throughout the clinic. At my particular clinic I am the assigned doctor of the day to do all the hygiene exams. This is the way this particular clinic runs, the other doctors are suppose to jump in to help.
At the end of the day I notice that the other doctors have 5 cancellations this odd Monday, which added to 6.5 hours of free time, which they could have jumped in to help me. This is surprising to me, but I am the newbee in this particular clinic so I am learning the way things work here. It was also partially my fault that I did not reach out to each doctor and ask for help.
Can I be mad at the other doctors? No. You work as hard or as little as you want in the Army. You will learn that as you practice even on the outside as a civilian dentist. You have to stay true to yourself and have integrity and intention in your practice.
I go home tired from a busy day.
No PT today. I am the sick call doctor. That means I am the dentist that takes care of all the “emergency” patients. Three hours is allotted for this in the morning.
I am in the clinic for 4 hours in the morning. I leave the clinic 1 hour for lunch. I work for 4 hours at the end of the day. I see typical restorative cases. No fuss today and no hygiene! A typical day.
PT in the morning followed by treating patients. I am seeing restorative patients this morning. I have a one hour break for lunch. After lunch there is a thirty minute clinic meeting. After the clinic meeting I see restorative patients for another 3.5 hours.
Is the same as Tuesday, but I end up going to the gym at the end of the day. I am in love with the new gym they built on the base. I was spoiled with UCLA, USC, and LA gyms. When I arrived at the Oklahoma Army base I was disappointed when I saw the gyms from the 1960s. They were depressing to work out in.
Luckily at the end of my third year a multimillion dollars gym was completed that is state of the Art. I love the place. Bonus- you get a free gym membership if you join the Army. It is on the base. This one has childcare.
**This Thursday was a bit boring, but it is a typical Thursday. I will give you a bonus Thursday.
Today is Commander’s Call. That means the whole unit, all the dental clinics (10% soldiers and 80% civilian department of defense employees) on the base meet with the Commander to go over training, objectives, and administrative things. It is basically a big pow-wow that gets us on the same page.
This was done every other month before, however the staff was getting tired of sitting in a room for 4 hours of training so today six hours is devoted to Commander’s Call. It was announced that this CC will happen quarterly now. This will change from base to base.
I see one patient in the morning then my assistant and I are off to the meeting. This was a particular interesting meeting because we had Transgender training. While I have been in the Army. The Army went from a “don’t ask don’t tell”, to an “open door policy” to accepting of gays to an accepting of transgender. During my first year I remember being excited to see a Gay Rights luncheon. I thought I was in an open-minded Army then, now I know I am in a progressive Army.
We were getting medically trained on transgender awareness, the definitions, medical profiles, and when a gender marker is changed. It opened up a discussion which was very interesting. The policy is in place, and I believe it will take some time to adapt. I truly believe that the Army is fully against transgender discrimination and there are policies in place for protection.
The training ended on this note and I found it to be a milestone in my Army days.
Yes, Army dentist have to work on Fridays. Bummer. This is not the civilian world where you would go to the chiropractor, get a message or play golf. I have unit PT in the morning followed by patients.
The plus is that pretty much every other month there is a government holiday. We get government holidays off. Currently we also get the Friday or Monday before or after the government holiday off also. This is called the “training day” where we are suppose to do training, however if all the training is complete then it is a free day. So we get 3-4 day weekends every other month.
Wash, rinse, repeat. This will most likely be what a typical Army Dentist’s day is like stateside. You may have to take time off for “special duties” in between patient chair time. For example I was chair of the Holiday Ball. Think Army Medical-Dental-Veterinarian Prom. I had to plan this event with a committee. We met every week for a month, which was factored into my “clinic” schedule.
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I hope this paints a picture of what an Army dentist’s week is like. My next post will feature more specific answers and advice to the HPSP application process. Stay tuned and as always, if you have questions or comments please let me know!
Disclaimer: My posts reflect my own opinions and thoughts alone and do not reflect the policies or opinions of the Army, DoD, or US Government in any way
No student loans for dental school
Money for books
Money for dental school supplies - drills, hand pieces, everything you need to practice
Money for rent each month
The Army network. 10% Of the US populations joins. You have joined another fraternity, the Veteran’s fraternity.
Health Care is free while on active duty for you and your family!
Great on the job training. An easy transition to becoming a professional dentist.
State of the art dental facilities.
Patients that always pay. The best patients in the world. Young, healthy, polite.
You get to serve your country. The true American way.
You might be thinking skeptically, "This sounds great... but what's the catch?"
One year of paid tuition = One year of Active Duty service
For every year of Dental School the Army pays for, you will serve one year of active duty as a captain. A lot of people assume that the army life means shooting guns and playing soldier. The last time I fired anything was almost four years ago. It's true that you will have some opportunities to do fun stuff like ruck marches, obstacles courses, and self defense training, but the reality is that a majority of your time is spent chair-side treating soldiers. Your number one priority is the health of others.
There are some responsibilities you have to consider before deciding to join. When you join you are a full time solider. You are property of the U.S. government and they want to make sure you are fit and accounted for at all times. You need to meet a standard height and weight as well as pass a physical fitness test twice a year. The government likes to know where its property is at all times, so you have to be okay with being accessible. Consider yourself owned by the Department of Defense. However, the Army is very good to you; they pay you a salary, give you health care, and you get a paid government holidays almost every month.
Some things to think about before you choose to do the Army route. You cannot openly criticize your commander and chief. You cannot end up on the nightly news doing something dumb or bad, and you have to conduct yourself in a way that represents the Army in a good light. The media loves to hate dentists, so if you choose to become active duty or work as a civilian dentist you have to present yourself in a professional manner, the media loves to scrutinize dentists. Remember Cecil the lion? Just don’t get in trouble it can cause a big mess.
If you are not one of the lucky ones that has dental school tuition paid for, you will most likely take out student loans. The way I saw it, I was going to be owned by debt or the Army. I joined the Army because I honestly felt that it would take care of me. After serving, I can positively say that the Army has met my expectations. I would do the HPSP scholarship again, if I could go back in time.
Disclaimer: My posts reflect my own opinions and thoughts alone and do not reflect the policies or opinions of the Army, DoD, or US Government in any way
🤔
I recently have been interviewed by a few college newspapers and I wanted to share some of the Q&As. Hopefully they will help someone. Enjoy!
Q: Why did you choose dentistry?
A: I choose dentistry through a process of trial and error. At first I thought I wanted to become a medical physician, but when I found out medicine was not my calling I felt lost. I ran into my cousin who had just finished dental school and she encouraged me to look into dentistry.
What drove me to dentistry was the aspect that you get to work with your hands. Dentist get to be creative. They produce work in patients mouths that provide immediate satisfaction. I like to think on my feet and be creative. As a dentist I get to make treatment plans based on a patient's chief complaint. I come up with a diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient. I have to be creative on how I present my plan to the patient. He or she may or may not accept. I then have to make beautiful restorations and results for my patients.
Dentistry is very aesthetic. The human patient interaction combined with art and science made me choose the profession. It was my calling.
Q. How would you describe the road to becoming a dentist in a few sentences?
A. You have to be prepared to put in the work. Great hand skills come with time. A dentist needs to work well with their hands and this take a lot of practice and patience. You must be ready to work very hard and put in many hours in dental school to become a skilled, artful, gentle provider.
The road to become a dentist is not a straight line you have to be ready to take detours. If you want to become a dentist you have to be prepared to take a long road trip with several stops along the way. In the end you will get to your destinations, but there will be paths/obstacles in your way.
Make sure you have a good roadside service place (your safety net) being your family and friends because you will need their support mentally and physically. For example your friends and family will be there for you when you need patients. They will drive hours or take time off work to come in so you can get "points" to graduate. Your family will also come in and help you during your licensing exams. Your friends will cook for your or drop off meals.
Even though you might get a nail in your tire and get a flat this is not the end of the world. You can take a detour and see the Grand Canyon while you are waiting to patch up your tire. Small bumps in the road may seem like setbacks, but they only give your grit and make you appreciate becoming a dentist so much more.
Q: What is the general purpose of your website ?
A: GYDO was my way to give back to the dental community. I have a few more months of my active duty service time. I have free time and I wanted to create a free platform to help inspire pre-dental students.
In today's climate we need more diverse voices. I wanted to present dentistry from my perspective, a female first generation dentist.
The ultimate goal of GYDO is to help inspire pre-dents to pursue their dream of becoming a dentist. I want to let pre dents know that they are not alone.
Q: What led you to the idea of creating GetYourDentistOn.Com ?
A: I wanted to share my personal stories and create a guide to help pre dents. I first wrote the content, and then I built the website around that.
I work with a lot of young enlisted soldiers. Some are interested in becoming dentists. They have a lot of questions. I realized in Oklahoma that access to mentors can be geographically challenging. Everything is spread out. Also, I realized that people are shy.
I realized there was a need for a website to share some personal content about the pre-dental application process.
Q. If there is something you would like to tell first year pre-dental students, what would you say?
A. It takes 10,000 of intentional practice to become skilled at anything. Keep practicing. I know that it can be very frustration when your eyes, brain and hands don't all do what you want, but one day it will click. Don't give up.
Q. Since you made it, what is something you would like to tell pre-dental/dental students who are struggling with such a tremendous course load?
A. Undergraduate is a time in your life that you will never get back. Enjoy it and all the opportunities that college has. Don't try to rush through college. If you have to take an extra year or summer school then do it. It is not the end of the world.
Don't overload your semester/quarter with too many classes and make your GPA suffer. Do what is right for you. If you can handing 6 classes then take them, if you can only handle 4 then take 4. Do what is right for you and what will help you get a high GPA for applications.
I suggest throwing in a fun class which may be an easy A every semester or quarter, if possible.
I hope that helps!
-Dr. Loi
It's a happy Friday in Oklahoma. There is no Ice Storm this morning and no work. I am delighted to find GetYourDentistOn featured in the Daily Trojan, USC's School Newspaper.
"I felt like in today's climate we needed more diverse voices that relate to our modern society...I wanted to offer a new outlook on dentistry from a unique perspective."
It has been almost two weeks since the launch of GetYouDentistOn and I am very excited about the enthusiasm and feedback I have been getting from both the dental community and aspiring pre-dental community. In the coming weeks I will feature Q&A sessions from practicing dentists, and former HPSP scholarship recipients in the Army and Navy.
Stay Tuned!
Happy New Years and Welcome to the official launch of Get Your Dentist On!
My hope is that you will find something of value of this site. Over the coming weeks we will be launching guest columns and Q&A sessions with other dentists and current dental school students. We'll be here to answer your questions and help mentor and encourage you along the way!
If you have questions or comments please feel free to share with us!
