Transcription
Hi everybody. Uh, this is Adri William and today I'm fortunate that I got Dr. Regina, uh, who is currently studying at University of San Antonio's DDS program, advanced standing DDS program. And I'm highly grateful for her to take out time in her busy schedule and discuss things about San Antonio, about CAPED, about her, uh, own social media page, and about her journey. So thank you very much, Dr. Regina, for joining us and sharing some of your wisdom.
Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure.
Good thing, doc. So, doc, let's start with San Antonio because right now, a lot of people are applying to San Antonio. And, uh, when you were applying, how many schools did you apply and where were you interviewed and how did you land up into San Antonio?
Um, so I actually, uh, was very, very nervous before the, uh, cycle even started. So, um, I started very, very early. I would say, um, a couple months before the cycle opened, I was kind of ready to send everything off already. Um, so I ended up applying to, I think, about seven. I was planning on applying to like 12 schools, I believe, but, um, at some point, I just had to stop myself and really just focus on the schools that, uh, I could see myself in. Because, you know, like, you, you kind of get scared and you think the more I apply, the higher are my chances to get in somewhere. But then, after all, would you actually like to live in this state or in the city? Um, right? Or would you even like to attend the school? Um, so after I did some of that reflecting, I would say, um, I decided to just stick with about six or seven schools. Uh, which is still a lot, which is still more than other people do. Um, I know that there's a couple students that really just want one school. Um, I've heard a lot of students that just want to go to San Antonio because they're in Texas and that's the only school that they really want to go to. So, um, usually they just end up applying to that one for like multiple years in a row, you know, till they get in. Basically.
Makes sense. So, how many schools did you get interviewed at?
Um, I got interviewed at three different schools. Um, no, hold on, it's four. I went to, uh, Virginia, the interview. I had an interview with Boston University and I had an interview with, um, Turo University, um, which I didn't attend the interview. I got invited and, um, I last minute decided not to attend the interview. And San Antonio.
So, and you got acceptance from San Antonio, Mandi School, right?
Yes. San Antonio and Boston both accepted me.
Okay, let's narrow down. So, when it comes to San Antonio, if it was about a year and a half ago when you went through the process, or about one year ago?
Yes.
No, it's actually exactly a year ago because my interview was last year in August, in the end of August. And I, the funny thing is, Armen, I, I would like, Armen is a good friend, but now I can't have him anymore because he's teaching in the faculty and it would be a conflict of interest to have him come here and talk about admission. But okay, imagine if you're talking to your younger self, or you're talking to like a person who's going to be going for an interview, can you break down like how was the bench and how was the interview part for you that day?
I would say, um, so I got accepted by Boston before I went to San Antonio. So I would say I was a little more relaxed when I attended the interview. I wasn't, um, like super scared if I don't get accepted. So I was a little bit more relaxed. I was more open, like outgoing, super outgoing with the faculty. Um, and, you know, I was able to really show my personality, which really, I think, helped. If I would have been stressed and like, um, you know, panicked a lot, then I think I would be, you know, I wouldn't really show who I am. Um, so, uh, the bench, first of all, was, um, it was all day. It was from, I think, 8:00 a.m. till like 4:00 p.m. We had a couple preparations that we had to do, a crown prep, uh, class 2 restoration, and everything was about time management. So they are super, super strict about, um, you listening to instructions and you following what they say. And, um, if you can be a good listener, if you can be a good student, that's what they want. They want a good student. It doesn't matter really how much experience you have. Like, yeah, of course, it's great if you, you know, have like a PhD or, you know, if you, um, are very experienced, it's awesome. But you are coming here to be a student again. So they are looking for those characteristics in the applicants. They want to see that, you know, you're like a sponge, you want to, um, take up all the knowledge that you can get from them, and that you are like very open to suggestions and that you just can listen to instructions, right? That's like very, very important. Uh, because I remember there were a couple students that, you know, they told us, hey, at 11:55, you have to put everything down, hands off the mannequin, hands off your instruments, no more cleaning, no more wiping, no more nothing, right? Uh, and there were a couple students that, you know, oh, wait, let me just like wipe this off real quick. So, um, you know, like, you shouldn't be doing this. Just listen to what they're telling you. They're like being very direct. Um, just, you know, be a good student and, um, listen to what they have to say. Basically.
Makes sense. So, when you say crown prep, do you remember like, was it a maxillary, premolar, molar, what teeth were they?
It was number 30, gold crown.
Okay. And the class two was on the maxillary?
No, the, the class two was also on the lower. Um, so we had, uh, 19 for class 2 and we had, I think, 18 for restoration composite.
That's a blessing. Uh, most schools like to do it on the upper class two, and if you cut the oblique ridge, they fail you. Uh, so that's that's good. Okay. And how was the interview part? I know they do OSKI's like in the back years, they would have like those stations where you go and would they would have questions. So how was that for you?
Yeah. So they call it, uh, MMI, multiple mini interviews. That's what they call it. Uh, it's basically like a big conference room where you end up, um, gathering with everyone and they have multiple tables which are in a circle, and you have to jump from faculty to faculty. You really have only five minutes, uh, for each faculty. And each faculty or, um, it's, it's, there was also, um, some people that aren't faculty, but that they're working in the, in the, in the building somewhere in the university.
Because faculty is very expensive to find, so they like find administrative people, hey, come here, sit here and ask these questions.
Exactly. So, um, basically, there were multiple stations and you had five minutes. They asked you, um, one or two questions. Usually it was something ethical related, something, hey, um, imagine your classmate is getting like through a hard, I don't know, a hard time, a divorce or something, right? And they're not really showing up for their patients or they're not showing up to classes. So what would you do? Would you, you know, notify your faculty about it? Would you, um, you know, deal yourself with it? Like, what would you do, right? And then you had to, um, play out different scenarios, kind of what, what best way to go would be, right? Then there's also questions about, um, hey, if you would injure a patient, um, you would probably, I don't know, cut their, um, gingiva or whatever. Would you tell the patient? Would you not tell the patient? How would you act, right? Then there's other questions, um, more specifically about you and your personality. Um, and then there is some questions about, um, oh, yeah, there was a written part too, where you have to write a mini essay about, um, the school and why you think you're a great match for the school. And then there was a radiology, uh, station, I would say, where you only had one X-ray and you had to, uh, make a diagnosis basically.
Okay. So overall, you felt it wasn't super difficult?
I would say it was not difficult at all. Um, very easy. Also, um, after you are done with the multiple mini interviews, where you go like in a circle in that big conference room, after you're done with this, you go, um, to a separate room where you have a multiple-choice test, um, which is also super easy. A lot of people have been asking me about it. You can definitely, definitely, um, you know, succeed in this test. It's basically a case, uh, where they give you a patient and, um, they give you also probing depths and, um, the tooth chart and everything, and then you kind of have to answer a couple questions about it. And I even remember, um, they wanted you to make a periodontal, um, diagnosis. Um, so what, uh, stage and grade it is of the periodontitis, and they even gave you like the chart, like the table that you, that you usually have, right? Um, so you have all the resources to answer those questions correctly. It's.
Thank you. You have a good memory. I wouldn't remember last year what I've done, even last month. So thank you for sharing all of this. I hope people would find it very useful for. So was there any interview part where they ask you, hey, tell me about yourself, your strength, weakness, why do you want to come here? Was there a part like that up there too?
Yes. Yes. Um, so you had to write about it. So you had to write an essay, um, where you kind of had to explain why you are a perfect fit for the school. And then there's, um, a faculty, actually, she's the director of the program.
What's her name?
Dr. Richo.
Okay.
She's actually Italian.
Mhm.
Oh, okay. Nice.
She's an international dentist, too.
Nice. So, um, she's the director. Yeah.
Sorry.
That's nice. I, I'm, that's good. They have a lot of international, uh, faculty who's working in this program.
Yes, almost everyone, like, really. There's, uh, I'm like rarely, rarely seeing, uh, American, American, American traditional dentists there.
The same in Colorado, like the last program director was like the original one who started the program was Dr. Townbe, uh, Dr. Elizabeth Town. But then she, now Dr. Baskin, who's an Indian, is the one who's the program director. If you go to UCLA, it's mostly, uh, Asian, I think. So I've learned one thing over time, a lot of Americans don't want to be involved in academics anymore. They would rather run CE courses, they would have private practices, make more money because the schools are a little bit more suffocating for them. So that's why you, we are seeing a more transition. Okay. But okay, coming back to the original thing. So how, now when you compare your interview with Boston, because Boston's is very straightforward conversation. One person is sitting, they ask you questions. What, how would you compare both of these?
Um, I feel like Boston, um, the interview with Boston was a little, so very sophisticated, very serious, very, uh, straight to the point, right? Um, I didn't really feel like we had, I would say, a connection. That's kind of weird to say, but, um, we, we, it didn't really, I didn't really feel as personal, or I don't really feel that, uh, I could really express myself the way I wanted to with the interview in Boston. Like, it was very quick. First of all, it was, I think, maybe 30 minutes or so, maybe less. Um, she asked me a couple things about my resume, a couple things about, uh, why I'm a good fit for the school. Um, but other than that, I don't really feel like she, um, I don't know, didn't really, um, didn't really ask any private questions.
Person, like personality related.
Exactly. So, and, um, at UT Health, I just felt so comfortable with, um, the people that work there, the faculty, all of them are amazing.
I think the word you said when you went there, you felt like, I can be here. This is like my place. I, I usually feel when you go to a house, uh, school, there's a certain feeling. You're buying a car and think you can actually sit down and feel like this is me. This is future me. And you get this vibe and eventually you end up landing there. So that, I don't know, there's a scientific backing to it, but I do feel that happens. But okay, so doc, here's one other thing. Now, since you've been studying in San Antonio, and I did get to visit it, uh, I know in the early start, they make you do very rigorous, like sim lab work and all of that. But now, if they ask, if somebody asks you, like, what makes San Antonio unique? Like, what are the things do you feel is unique about, uh, San Antonio as compared to other schools? What would you tell them about this?
So, um, what San Antonio is really popular for and renowned, I would say, um, even the traditional or the American students, they are talking about this, is that the clinical experience that we get in San Antonio is really one of the best. Um, I am in third year now, in DS3, and it has been a month now that I'm in DS3, and I had so many patient experience already. We have clinic every day. Um, we have so many patients, we have so many, um, cases that we can work on already. It has been just, you know, the first month, the first couple weeks, and I've seen over 20 patients already, and they are like part of my patient base, my, uh, family, family patient family, basically, right? Um, so I think the experience that I will get here is way more than I would get it in a different school. And, um, the technology is awesome. Like, everything, everything is, uh, about digital dentistry in UT Health San Antonio. Um, so I'm, I'm just really fortunate that I'm able to use all of this technology like in, in third year already, right? Um, that I'm also able to do aesthetic cases, that I'm able to do surgery, that I'm able to do, um, you know, a lot of interesting things that I think in other schools, it's not really common to do that.
So when you talked to your senior batch people who graduated, maybe Armen's batch people, what, how, what was the number of crowns? And did, did you get to hear any, uh, I know it varies a lot, some people might have done like crazy amount, some people less, but have you tal, heard any average number they do, like number of crown cases or extractions or root canals, have you heard of anything like that?
Well, um, I know about the requirements that we have. We really have, we really don't have huge requirements. We have to have maybe, um, two or three crowns that are, um, comp crowns, which, uh, we get graded on. Um, but other than that, uh, there is really no limit for you to go. Um, you can, um, do as much as you can as you want, really. There is no limit. Um, also with the extractions, there's, I think, um, five extractions that you have to do, but you, different rotations, like, um, you have surgery rotations where you are, um, only in surgery for like a whole week, and I already did like seven extractions in my first week. So, um, you know, like, there's really no limit. It really depends on you, how ambitious you are, and, uh, how much you want to get done. I feel like, uh, us international students, we are always like a little bit more like driven, we have like more fire, you know, we want to, we want to achieve more, right? Um, so that's also what I hear from, uh, other students, like from the traditional students, they are always like, you know, you IDAPS, you, you international dentists, you're always like, you know, um, you're just, you, you're just winning, basically. Um, so the grass is greener always on the other side, so that's how they see.
But glad and thank you. Like you're explaining things so well. I'll, I'll give you that, doc. You're explaining so well. Usually I have to, when I'm asking people questions, I have to pull out the information and then I have to figure out what they are saying and repeat. But thank you. You're, you're, I think you should be in teaching. You're, you're clarifying things pretty good. So my next question, doc, I wanted to ask you since, uh, people are asking and so a lot of people, I would tell about Dr. Regina, that she's actually, uh, she was born in Russia, but she lived in Germany, and then she came to US. So she pretty much has a very diverse background and she runs her own social media channel or page. As always, she shares a lot of CAPED information since a while, that's how I got to know about her. So, doc, before I tell about, and you can tell about your social media, tell us about your background because I'm personally very much fascinated when it comes to Germany and Germans because they were involved in all world wars. But no, my parents lived there for about, my father went for his doctorate in Berlin, and my parents used to speak German, my brother were born there. My first, uh, plan to visit out of US would be to go to Berlin and see where my parents lived, where my dad went to school. But, uh, tell us about a little bit about your background and how education was in Germany and what made you decide to come all the way to US and pursue advanced standing DDS.
Well, um, yeah. So I was born in Russia, in, uh, Siberia, Almsk in Siberia. Uh, and when I was four years old, we moved to Germany. Um, due to my father, he has German roots and, uh, we were able to move to Germany. And I grew up in Germany, went to school in Germany. Uh, and then after, um, I would say college, we have a different school system in Germany. So, uh, after 12 years of school, um, after college, I would say, um, I was thinking, you know, I'm not sure if I, uh, really want to go into medicine or dentistry. So, I wanted to become a physician first, uh, since my dad is a physician. Um, but, you know, I still couldn't really decide. So, I, um, took a break. I went to the United States. Um, I was in New York for about 2 years after school, where I was working as a pair, um, like a nanny. And, um, there I kind of fell in love with the country and I, uh, started to think about, hey, one day I really want to come back here and one day I want to work here as a either doctor or, um, dentist. And, um, well, I returned back to Germany and I was thinking that I want to go to an international program or somewhere where I can improve my English and study in English. So, uh, I actually didn't go to, um, school in Germany. I went to school in Bulgaria, which, uh, it was an international program and, uh, I studied dentistry for 6 years in English, which was really helpful. Um, and after I completed my degree there, I returned to Germany and, um, just like a couple months after I graduated, I started traveling back and forth to the United States getting experience. Um, started shadowing, started, um, you know, getting more experienced with like, um, American dentists. So, yeah, it was a lot of back and forth. Uh, in 2022, I believe it was, uh, 2023, uh, I was flying back and forth a lot and, um, yeah, and then I got accepted here.
Wow, that's, that's quite a lot of traveling. Makes sense. You're seeing the world, your experience. So when you lived in New York for 2 years, when you wanted to came back, were you like, "Oh, I want to go to NYU and I want to live in New York because that's it happens because people tell me once you fall in love with New York, it's very hard to come out."
I was, I went to a doctor's house and her younger sister lives in New York. She lives in a 600 square apartment and there are about four people and she was showing us pictures. Literally, you can't fit a big, like it was a very small and there was a rule that if you're above 5'7", you can't live in those apartments. Like it was a really small place in Williamsburg, but she, they pay like $4,000 of of rent up there. And they say when you fall in love with New York, you just, you just pay the price and you live. So in your case, were you like, did you want to be in New York or you were like, how was, how was that?
Well, back then, yes. Uh, back then I was thinking, well, New York, it has to be New York. I will have to go back here. But, you know, with years, with the years, New York changed a lot. Um, I don't know if you have been recently or not, but, um, you know, it's, uh, definitely not the great New York that it was, uh, 10 years ago. Um, I'm also getting old now that I'm saying 10 years ago. Um, so, uh, yeah, I definitely wanted to, um, you know, do something in New York dentistry-wise, but I knew how expensive it is. I knew how hard it is to get in there, and I knew that afterwards, after your two years, they want like another, I think, year or half, I'm not sure how much it was, um, of residency.
Of GPR.
Yep.
Yeah, GPR, um, which, you know, I didn't really want to go through all of this. And I know, um, that it's really, you know, as a dentist, you make really good money in the United States, but not in New York. Like, it's, it's still not enough to
Have a great life in New York.
That's true.
The CP, I, I was using was from Long Island and I was asking, hey, and his wife is a dental anesthesiologist resident. So I was saying, do you have other clients from other parts of the world, other parts of the US? She said, "Yeah, the least amount of money that my clients make are in New York, and the highest I get is like people in Texas or Minnesota, like in the middle of nowhere, because it's just the price of being in New York is so much that you pay taxes and even a cup of coffee like six, seven bucks."
Exactly.
Yeah. Crazy. But his, his, and this is my own thing. I, I love to ask people a little bit stupid questions and whatever you're comfortable. But when you say you grew up as a Russian in Germany, how was, how was that? Did you feel like a cultural difference or like people would treat you better when you were in school? Or and same when you went to Bulgaria? How was that, uh, for you? Like, just for my information, I'd like to ask. So how was that?
Um, so I think growing up, I didn't have a big issue with being an immigrant. I think my brother, who's older than me, he had a, um, you know, worse situation because I had to, uh,
Men get to suffer worse.
Yeah, that too. That too. But, you know, he was like pushed into school immediately. I still had some time in kindergarten and, you know, I had time to practice my German. So, uh, you know, for me it was a little bit easier. And I think afterwards, I didn't really notice, uh, being an immigrant because Germany is full with immigrants. It's like basically what the country is built on on immigrants, right? So, um, Germany is really very diverse as well. So, um, I never felt like, uh, an outcast or something like that, right? So, um, that wasn't a problem. And then, uh, when going to Bulgaria, um, I remember that speaking Russian was actually an advantage for me because the Bulgarian population, they do, um, you know, speak Bulgarian, but it's very, very similar to Russian. So, I was able to find a couple patients that way and I was able to, you know, communicate with my patients. I was able to learn Bulgarian myself and, um, you know, mix it with Russian a little bit here and there. So that worked out at the end.
Okay, that's good. Good to hear that. That's fascinating, doc. And, uh, well, I hope people get to learn a lot. I'm, I'm actually learning a lot. My, my parents lived in Germany back like in, I think 60s, 1960s, around that '70s. So at that time, Germany just, it was post World War II era. The Alander Shaer was a very common term up there. So, but yeah, I talked to a lot of German. That's why Armen became my friend too, because, but, uh, yeah, but I'm, I'm fascinating to listen. You have a lot of experiences and you're really good at, uh, explaining stuff. But you haven't told people about your social media. So if you, I know you're, you try to, people tend to be a little bit more humble, but I'm going to push you to share. Tell us about your social media so more people, because you share a lot of knowledge about CAPED and these kind of stuff, which is good. So more people who can relate to you can watch you, ask you questions. So can you want to tell a little bit about that?
Yes. So, um, I think in 2024, last year, I actually opened up or started a YouTube channel called Smile Stream. And, um, that was the time when I was applying to schools and I was kind of in between waiting for an acceptance, waiting for interviews. And at this moment, I was like, really thinking it was a really hard process. We, we tend to forget once we get into school and once we, you know, graduate, maybe we, we tend to forget how hard it was in the beginning, right? Like how lonely you feel sometimes, how, um, you know,
Disappointed.
Yeah.
Yeah. Disappointed, lost, and you think you're like the only person that's going through this, right? Um, and I, I felt the exact same way. And I didn't really know where I should find all the information that I needed to complete my CAPIT or to where, where to even start, right? Like, I, I didn't really have an account or anything where I could look up to. Um, I haven't found your account by like back then. Sorry. So I didn't know your account back then. But, um, uh, yeah. So I thought like, why not, why not start sharing what I have learned with so much work? Like, I put really a lot of work into my application, into this whole process of getting accepted in the United States, and like all the tips and tricks that I, uh, gathered from like other students or other applicants, right? From going to interviews, or just, uh, being in Facebook groups and all of that stuff, right? Like, I collected a lot of, um, things that I thought like, you know, I could share it with more people that haven't heard about this yet, or that are just as lost as, as I was a couple months ago, right? So, I started this channel, like slowly, slowly, I made a couple videos of basically every step that you need to complete your CAPIT. Um, and then more and more questions started pouring in. So I started answering those questions, and then I started going to interviews and made videos about that. So, um, yeah, I, I just like to share those experiences and make the life for other people easier, you know, like, or make this whole process for other people easier. So that's why I started the YouTube. And then a couple months ago, I, um, I actually started an Instagram channel too, uh, Instagram account, uh, which is called Smile Stream DDS. And, um, there I'm also sharing a couple everyday, um, things that I, um, experience while going through dental school.
That's good. I'm, I'm, I'm glad you did it. And I'll just tell you, uh, I, I would just suggest, like, keep doing it. There are two reasons I'll tell you. I mean, I'm saying it on recording so other people can get inspiration from this too. When I talk to people, I can feel some people are speaking, uh, you can just, I, I can tell you like, if you have a skill, you have, God might have blessed you with this, you can speak, you can explain things, and I think you should continue to do it. Personally, that's just a suggestion. The second thing I feel, what I've learned, I've have very crappy days going on and then I would see somebody who would say, "Hey, thank you for doing this or making this." And just having that feeling of gratitude. And I've been, if you would meet me about 3 years ago, I would be somebody who would be dead serious. I grew up with like a lot of like surgery people who had always jerks, whatever you want to call it, sorry, but that's how they are. And but then over time, working with with CAPED people and coaching stuff, I've learned that the essence of gratitude and being happy in small things and small tasks rather than always being that like really masculine, dark kind of place to be at. So it's for me, I've learned like a lot of good things started to happen to me when I actually started to help people without asking for anything in between. I do ask, I, I charge people money and not to make it sound like I'm Mother Teresa. I am a business. But once in a while, when I get to it, it does make a difference. So definitely it's, and if somebody else feels like they have a heart, they should think about it. But I'm, I'm really happy and grateful, doc, for your time for sharing all this information. If you would allow me, I'm going to share your, uh, Instagram and YouTube in the description. And, uh, do you have, do you, when people reach out to you, do you feel it's mostly a specific ethnicity, or is it just, have you kind of seen a pattern, people who are coming to you, or it's just pretty much all over the place right now?
It's really all over the place. Um,
From all over the world.
I'm very, uh, like always very grateful too that people reach out to me and I'm very happy about messages, um, and questions. And I'm definitely planning on, um, you know, being more active in social media and on YouTube again, uh, because I know that there's a lot of questions that still have to be answered, right? And, um, I do feel like, uh, I should share more of the everyday life of a student or being a student again, right? Like, we totally forget how, um, difficult it can be to be a student again, too, right? Especially if you have worked already and you're, uh, you know, a dentist and like a doctor, right? Somewhere else already, you're like, think so highly of yourself and then you kind of have to get back to, you know, back to reality and be a student again. I'm like, okay, well, you know, it's not, it's not easy. So, um, but it's fun. It's fun. It's fun at the same time. And I, I feel like I learned so much every single day just being back in school. And I thought I already know a lot, right? I thought I already know like most of dentistry, right? I, I already graduated and I graduated really well. Um, so I'd say, uh, there's never, there's never something that, um, you know, there's never ever like a stop where you like completely stop learning. You will always keep, uh, progressing and improving your knowledge in dentistry. So that's why I'm trying to, you know, make more videos and more content.
That's good. Good. I'm going to, so if you would allow me, I'm going to share your, uh, channel name and description in the description of these videos. So hopefully people can reach out to you, subscribe you, follow you on Instagram for, uh, more guidance. But thank you once again, Dr. Regina. It's been an, uh, privilege to talk to you and hear so much about San Antonio. Thank you very much.
Thank you so much.