Renee Lee, UOP Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
What dental school do you go to and what undergraduate school did you attend?
I currently attend the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, and I attended UC Berkeley for my undergraduate studies.
Why did you choose the dental school you are attending / what are some things unique to your school?
I think there’s a huge misconception that we should only choose cheaper dental schools because tuition is already so expensive. However, there are ways where you can get PAID to attend your dream dental school. For me, I chose UoP because it was financially the smarter choice. I am a Navy HPSP recipient, so getting a dental degree for only three years of serving rather than four was a huge decision factor. Also, I really valued how UoP was known for producing students with superb hand-skills and had a beautiful facility.
What programs/clubs are you a part of at your school and what is your role?
I’m not part of any clubs at the moment due to COVID, but would love to join in my Autumn quarter.
What were you extracurricular/volunteer/leadership experiences in undergrad?
I was the External Affairs Officer at Cal PDS, Finance officer at Cal PDS, research assistant at an entomology lab at Cal, research assistant at UoP Dental School (published a paper),and Oral Health Decal Facilitator. I also volunteered at Cal PDS events (DEOP & CS), worked as a winter and summer church camp counselor, worked as a Front Office Assistant at Brian M. Assael, DDS, and volunteered at homeless outreach events through my church.
Does your school offer any events or programs for pre-dents?
Yes! http://www.dugonipdb.com
How would you recommend undergraduates prepare for dental school? What has prepared you the most personally?
My advice would be to challenge yourself. Dental school is tough, and being able to balance didactics, clinic, sleep, and personal life can be a struggle for many. I feel like with the heavy science classes I juggled to take at Cal, it really taught me how to study efficiently so I have other time to do other things. You will never grow or learn unless you push yourself. Learn how to study. Learn how to make time for self-care. This will help you a ton in dental school! As easy and obvious as this sounds, surprisingly, many people in dental school struggle with this.
Please describe your experience in dental school thus far.
UoP has been very intense! I don’t want to sugar coat my journey, but you know in Cal they say, if you can survive Cal you can survive anything? Well, I personally did not find this to be true. I think going into UoP I thought it would be easier. In ways it is, the difficultly of exams are easier. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the overall experience is easier. Because UoP is a three year accelerated program, it is very fast paced. We have several exams and/or projects due every week, and to juggle that with class from 8am-4pm and night sim lab practice, you’re always non-stop grinding until the quarter ends. Burn out is very real in dental school.
However, some great things about UoP are that I really see my hand skills growing. UoP has very strict standards for sim lab and clinic, so things that will fly at other dental schools will not at UoP. This is why UoP has a consistently high boards pass rate! I definitely understood why Dugoni prides themselves of their hand skills just even after my first quarter of dental school.
Is there any other information you would like to provide? (dental school advice, application tips, life knowledge, etc)
I know as a pre-dent, your priority is to mainly get into dental schools first and worry about dental school experience later. My biggest advice is to please apply to dental schools that you want to attend. Also, dental school is not like undergrad where ranking and prestige matter. What matters is your hand skills. Please take that into account when applying or choosing schools as this well affect your future career as a dentist.
