If it wasn’t for dentistry, Elizabeth Durham, DMD22, probably would have been an illustrator. Growing up in central Massachusetts, she knew from a young age she wanted a career involving art in some way. It wasn’t until her regular checkups with the pediatric dentist where she looked forward to going to the office that she realized she wanted to pursue a career in dentistry.

“I started shadowing there from a young age and was...

When Natalie Wen, DMD22, graduates with her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree this May, a promise between eighth grade friends will be fulfilled.

“My friend’s mom was a dentist and we always said we should become dentists and open our own practice someday,” Wen said. “At an early age I knew that I wanted a career in healthcare.”

While both Wen and her childhood friend, who attends dental school in Wen’s home state of Wisconsin, will become dentists, after graduation the two will take different paths in their careers.... Read more about Fulfilling a Promise: Serving with Confidence and Care

Michael Cevallos, DMD22, might have become a chemist rather than a dentist, if not for an experience in a pediatric dental practice that changed his plans. As an undergraduate at the University of Richmond, he majored in Chemistry with the full intention of becoming a chemical engineer. In his spare time, he tutored and mentored at-risk middle school youth in Richmond Public Schools. He gravitated to dentistry after shadowing his aunt, a pediatric dentist, and realizing the positive impact he enjoyed as a tutor he could have improving the lives of patients.

... Read more about Finding the Right Chemistry: National Healthcare Scholar Finds His Calling in Community Health