ASDA

Pre-Dental
Fall 2014

Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral health

Meet the Committee

Interview Advice

Contacts and Dates

Meet this years pre-dental

committee, here to help
you with all your dental
needs.
Page 2-4

Get the details on how to

do your best on interviews
from both faculty and
students!

Our contact information

and important dates to
look out for!

Page 5-7

Page 8

Fun with Facts

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 predents are able to apply and through a selection
process, ASDA ASDOH will pick one student write
a recommendation letter for.

IN THIS ISSUE
- Meet the 2014-2015 PreDental 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

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.
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
cant wait to help-dents on their journey
to becoming part of the best profession
there is.

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.
2 2

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 dont 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!

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
youre passionate and disciplined,
youll make it. She is excited to meet
and share many more experiences and
memories with all of you in the years
to come!

KNOW.:.
He.:.DID
at ASDOH,
you can receive a dual degree in fours years. Doctor of Dental Medicine and Masters in Public Health
-DIDYOU
YOU
KNOW
ASDOH
offers
a dual
degree-program in both Doctor of Dental Medicine and Masters in Public Health-Dental Emphasis

NICHOLAS SALAVA, Junior

Chair

3 3

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 Syrbus 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!

4 4

THE REALITY OF DENTAL SCHOOL told by a...

D1

SIERRA FERREIRA

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.

CATHY VO

D2

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.

5 5

TIPS FOR APPLYING told by a...

JANICE NGUYEN
D3
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
- Lorem Ipsum
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

MELANIE WHALEN
D4
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 students 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. Were all different, so I played to my strengths
and how they related to my top choices mission.
Good luck!
If you have any questions let me know.
mwhalen@atsu.edu

6 6

PROBING QUESTION:
WHAT MAKES ASDOH UNIQUE?

TOP 10
FREQUENTLY
ASKED INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS
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 dont 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.

7 7

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-DentalCommittee/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-annualpre-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?

Heres 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 Kaplans 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.