Hello Pre-Dents! We are so excited to work with you all this year. Lets starts with a little introduction about our committee and what we can do for you!

• We offer 24/7 mentorship, we partner everyone who signs up with a mentor of the dental school to help with all of your queries.

• We do meet ups with the surrounding schools in the phoenix areas and also videoconference with the schools that are not in the area!

• Send out updates through our seasonal newsletters.

• Host a PRE-DENTAL DAY here at ASDOH. Which entails mock interviews with faculty and students, student panels, workshops, hands on experience, and much more!

• Give out a Pre-dental of a year award where pre-dents are able to apply and through a selection process, ASDA ASDOH will pick one student write a recommendation letter for.

Fun with Facts

Pre-Dental Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral health Fall 2014

Meet the Committee

Meet this year’s pre-dental committee, here to help you with all your dental needs.

Page 2-4

Interview Advice

Get the details on how to do your best on interviews from both faculty and students!

Page 5-7

Contacts and Dates

Our contact information and important dates to look out for!

Page 8

IN THIS ISSUE - Meet the 2014-2015 Pre-Dental Committee - Dental art and humor by Dr. John Syrbu - Reality of dental school told by D1 & D2 - Tips for applying told by D3 & D4 - Top 10 frequently asked interview questions -Probing Question: What makes ASDOH unique - What makes a well rounded applicant - Register for the annual ASDOH ASDA Pre-Dental workshop

ASDA

2 2

JANICE NGUYEN, Lead Chair

Janice Nguyen is currently a D3. Janice went to the University of St. Thomas for undergrad in the heart of Houston, TX. She majored in

Chemistry and double minored in Biology and Theology. She is very excited to help pre-dents make their dreams come true.

SAHAR YAFTALY, Lead Chair

D3 Sahar Yaftaly is originally from Simi Valley, California. She did her undergraduate education at UCLA

and found that being highly involved as a pre-dent was a huge help in gaining acceptance to dental school. She is so excited to share her experiences and can’t wait to help-dents on their journey to becoming part of the best profession there is.

Meet the ASDOH ASDA Pre-Dental Committee The pre-dental committee is so excited for this upcoming year. We welcome you to meet

the new and current members and and read their dental school related tips.

KRISTINE KEBER, Junior Chair

D3 Kristine Keber received her BS degree in Biology at Seton Hall University. She is beyond excited to once again be a part of the pre-dental committee and to have the opportunity to share advice with pre-dental students. The

journey to and through dental school is not an easy one, but it is worth every second.

CHRIS EVANS, Junior Chair

D3 Chris Evans graduated from BYU in 2012 with a degree in Exercise Science. He has really enjoyed his time in dental school and is happy to be part of the ASDOH family. Chris chose to attend ASDOH because of the extensive clinical

education it offers. He enjoys being able to rotate through all the specialty clinics and diversify clinical experience. If he could advise pre-dental students of anything it would be to cast their nets wide, be persistent with the schools they've applied to, and to stay positive! It's a long cycle.

3 3

-- DID

YOU

KNO

W --

He at ASD

OH

, you can receive a dual degree in fours years. Doctor of D

ental Medicine and M

asters in Public Health

NICHOLAS SALAVA, Junior Chair D3 Nick Salava home state is Kansas. For his undergraduate degree, he went to the University of Kansas graduating with a degree in Human Biology. He had several attempts in trying to get into dental

school but never gave up on his goal. So for those reapplying, just continue to work hard, be persistent, and don’t give up. Getting into dental school is not easy, but having a few good mentors along the way really helped. Nick looks forward to meeting with the pre-dental students and wishes you all the best!

ALEX ROELENS, Junior Chair Alex Roelens is currently a D3 here at ASDOH. He is from Phoenix, Arizona and received his BS degree from the University of Arizona. During his undergraduate years he was fortunate to be

a part of a very active pre-dental society that allowed him many opportunities to volunteer and be active in the dental community, as well as opportunities to learn from different dental students, faculty, and representatives about the process of applying and building a strong resume. These experiences proved to be invaluable to him as he was applying to dental school, and he would love to share them with any pre-dental students who may benefit from them. He is looking forward to working with you all!

.:.DID

YOU

KNO

W.:.

ASDO

H offers a dual degree program

in both Doctor of D

ental Medicine and M

asters in Public Health-D

ental Emphasis

!

LISA VU, Junior Chair Lisa Vu is from Houston, Texas and is currently a D2. She received her M.P.H. at the University of Texas School of

Public Healthy and B.A. in Chemistry at the University of St. Thomas. She loves getting involved in the community and have volunteered as a dental assistant at Healthcare for Homeless Houston for the past five years, Being a fourth time applicant, she understands the meaning of persistence, and she hopes to help others live their dream as well.

HAE MI KIM, Junior Chair Hae Mi is originally from Seoul, Korea and moved to Tucson, AZ at the age of 15. She discovered

her desire to explore a path in the health care field while attending the University of Arizona and received a degree in Neuroscience. A career in dentistry involves a lot of hard work, commitment, and sacrifice, but if you’re passionate and disciplined, you’ll make it. She is excited to meet and share many more experiences and memories with all of you in the years to come!

4 4

Sierra, Jordan, Anna and Chris are our newest members of the pre-dental committee. They are incredibly excited to be part of the American Student Dental Association and looking forward to helping pre-dental students navigate the difficult process of dental school admissions. Our one word of advice for pre-dents is to simply be yourself.

Dental Art and Humor: Need a break from all that studying and working on your application? Check out John Syrbu’s entertaining dental comics that have been acknowledged both nationally and worldwide. John is now a practicing dentist in Iowa, but was once a pre-dental/dental student just like the rest of us. So for those who have some sort of hidden talent, be sure to share them on your personal statement or dental application. This will help make you stand out!

5 5

THE REALITY OF DENTAL SCHOOL told by a...

So far I have absolutely loved my time here at ASDOH. As a D1 student, the academic load is rigorous. Learning how to use my time efficiently, both inside and outside of the classroom, has helped me tremendously and playing indoor soccer with my classmates on Sundays has been a huge stress-reliever after long weeks of class. Looking back at these past few months, it's hard to pick a favorite moment or class. But what I will say is that the professors here are amazing. Each one of my professors thus far have been passionate, caring, and incredibly

intelligent. If I were to give advice to incoming dental students it would be to never forget how special you are. ASDOH hand picked you from thousands of applicants because they believe in you and your potential to become the next generation of community leaders. Sometimes the academic material is overwhelming and there will be times when you think it's too tough. But you must always remember that you were chosen for a greater purpose and never forget to always be grateful for the opportunity you have been given by the incredible people here at ASDOH who believe in you. It's been an amazing experience so far and I look forward to my next few years here at ASDOH.

D1

D2 year has been an exciting and challenging year. We finally finished the majority of our didactic classes from our D1 year and passed our National Boards Part I (hallelujah!!). Many of us are walking a little bit taller and more confidently as we stroll onto campus; no longer the new kids on the block. That is, until we walk through the doors of SimClinic. Some of us have a natural ability with the drill, while for others there's a definite learning curve. For me, it's the latter. On a daily basis, there are endless projects that require us to prep and recreate a tooth. It's a different type of stress and pressure that differ from D1 year. Instead of worrying about getting through 150 slides for Monday's exam, there's an anxiety about hitting the adjacent tooth with my bur or having a provisional with open margins and no contacts. However, that's what makes D2 year exciting because you're learning tangible skills and technique that you will apply as a dental provider. Of course there are times when I wanted to throw my typodont against the wall, but there's nothing better when you finally succeeded at the ideal prep or the perfect provisional. If there's one piece of advice that I can give about D2 year, it would be not to compare yourself to other people. Everyone learns at a different pace. It may take a lot of mistakes, but eventually you'll get there with some practice. Just make sure you surround yourself with good people who make you laugh.

SIERRA FERREIRA

D2 CATHY VO

6 6

- Lorem Ipsum

MELANIE WHALEN D4

TIPS FOR APPLYING told by a...

We all know that the trifecta of dental school acceptance is high GPAs, incredible DAT scores and vast dental backgrounds. For me, I was average at best in those three categories. So how did I get in my first cycle? Who knows, but I have a couple of guesses. First, I applied to schools that were a good fit for me. For example, I had over a thousand hours of volunteer work under my belt, most of which was not dental related. This service reflected my character and followed the values of my top choice ASDOH. In addition, I spent my undergrad doing a variety of extracurricular activities that developed and represented my leadership skills, hardworking attitude, team building, and ability to time manage. Those extracurricular activities also gave me an opportunity to build great relationships, which resulted in letters of recommendations that were personalized and heartfelt. Although GPAs and DAT scores get you through the first level of screening, your

application packet needs to demonstrate you are well rounded. Schools vary and GPAs are not always representative of a student’s ability to succeed, which is why letters of recommendation and personal states are critical. Make your personal statement you. In it, demonstrate what drives you, and why you deserve that seat. My letter told a story of personal growth, desire to serve the underserved and how I fit into the dental field. We’re all different, so I played to my strengths and how they related to my top choice’s mission. Good luck! If you have any questions let me know. mwhalen@atsu.edu

My advice to pre-dent students in order to become a successful candidate is to get some dental experience. I suggest becoming a dental assistant. Becoming a dental assistant will be a good way to learn the ins and outs of a dental office and dental procedures. I think this will help students to truly see if they will enjoy the profession. I also think that consistently volunteering at a dental office or working in a dental office shows commitment it will be better to stay at one place for a year than jumping around two different clinics every month. Lastly, work hard and keep a cheerful spirit through the application process! Good luck to all of those who are currently applying. - Janice Nguyen

JANICE NGUYEN D3

7 7

TOP 10 FREQUENTLY

ASKED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

PROBING QUESTION: WHAT MAKES ASDOH UNIQUE?

· Why Dentistry? · What sets you apart from other applicants? · What makes a good dentist? · What is one of your weaknesses? · What is your biggest accomplishment? · Out of all the dental schools in the nation, why our school? · What is the biggest issue facing dentistry today? · Tell me about yourself. · What would you do if you don’t get accepted this cycle? · Do you have any questions for us? · If you found out a fellow classmate is cheating, how would you react?

Our school is the only dental school with oral health in our name, which means public health is a major focus. We all graduate with either a Master of Public Health or a Certificate in Public health along with our DMD. Also, we are in clinic full time and seeing patients from the end of second year to end of third. The fourth year we are on month-long rotations as working dentists all over the nation! Dr. Onika Patel, ASDOH ALUMNA c/o 2014

WHAT MAKES A WELL ROUNDED APPLICANT: ..I.. TOLD BY FACULTIES ..I..

Dr. VanGheluwe– DDS, MS Director of Clinical Education A well-rounded application includes various community service experiences as well as shadowing experiences in various types of dental practices. It should also include a reasonably high GPA and DAT score because there are several standardized tests necessary to pass in order to become a practicing dentist. And finally, what cannot be written on an application but will be evident in an interview is an outgoing, friendly and mature personality.

Dr. Morrison– DDS, MSD, MAed Associate Dean of Education A well-rounded applicant to the ASDOH program should espouse a desire to provide whole person health care, in addition to being passionate about delivering excellent clinical dental care. The ideal applicant will plan to spend part of his/her career after graduation, caring for the under served, in one form or another, in the spirit of improving global and local community health care. This applicant will become more than an accomplished clinical dentist - he/she will be a purveyor of whole person health care, and an advocate for interprofessional collaboration.

ASDOH Contact:Phone: 480-219-6000 Website: www.atsu.edu/asdoh/ Adress: 5850 E. Still Circle Mesa, AZ

“Like” us on facebook! ASDOH ASDA Pre-Dental Committee https://www.facebook.com/pages/ASDOH-ASDA-Pre-Dental-Committee/155605614514050

Pre-Dental Committee Contact Info: asdohpredental@atsu.edu Janice Nguyen: jnguyen03@atsu.edu Sahar Yaftaly: syaftaly@atsu.edu

Please join us for the annual ASDOH ASDA PRE-DENTAL WORKSHOP:

REGISTER NOW! – Spots are limited! SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015 http://asdohasda.org/products-page/events/asdoh-asda-annual-pre-dental-workshop-2015/ Workshop includes: DAT prep advice & tips, more clinical experience than before, food, ASDOH campus tour, personal statement writing workshop, mock interview with faculty, dental student Q&A panel, AADSAS workshop: timelines, overview, Q&A, visit with the ASDOH Dean, simulation clinic experience, meeting other pre-dental students, current ASDOH dental students and faculty, ASDOH admissions presentation, free gifts, prizes, AND MORE!

Sign up for an ASDA Pre-dental Membership? Here’s some awesome reasons why!

The American Student Dental Association (ASDA) is the largest and most active student dental association in the U.S. Dental school programs want applicants to be involved in extracurricular activities.ASDA is nationally recognized. Sign up today! www. asdanet.org/joinnow.aspx -- Member-only access to the ASDA website which contains all kinds of information about a career in dentistry -- Discounts on resources to prepare you for dental school, including 10% discount on Kaplan’s DAT courses and materials -- The Opportunity to network with 17,000 dental students through our national, regional, and chapter events as well as the ASDA Facebook page -- Free subscriptions to ASDA publications: ASDA News, Mouth, and the e-newsletter Word of Mouth to keep you up to date on the latest issues affecting dentistry.