Transcription
Welcome to the Dental School Guide Podcast, your ultimate destination for all things Dentistry. I'm Dr. Tanner Tazm, your guide through the complex world of dental education. Join us as we uncover the secrets of acing dental school admissions, navigating residency programs, and exploring career opportunities. Please share and enjoy.
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Welcome back to the Dental School Guide Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Tanner Townson, and today we have Emily with us. Emily is a D3 at USC, and we are excited to have her on the show. Well, Emily, welcome. How are you?
I'm doing really good. I am enjoying my vacation at the moment. We have a small break for this my summer break. You know, we, we were like in school, you know, for summer semester, so now I'm vacationing a little bit back home, home. Uh, so yeah, I'm doing great. It was awesome.
Okay, well, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from originally, and how do you end up at USC?
Okay, so long story, but I'll keep it short. But I was born originally in Venezuela, and then I moved to the US, uh, 10 years ago now. I started in Georgia, so I did my high school there, and then I went to school for volleyball, and I ended up in Florida. So I went to Kaiser University for a year, and then I ended up transferring to Randolph College in Virginia. I finished playing volleyball there. Um, and then after that was like after COVID. Um, and then I applied to dental school, and now I'm at USC in Los Angeles. So I've been a little bit everywhere within the US in all these 10 years, but it's been an awesome journey.
That is so cool. It sounds like you truly have been everywhere, from Venezuela to all up and down the East Coast, and now you're living it up. Was crazy.
Okay, well, tell us a little bit about your journey of how you ended up at USC. What other schools did, were some of the schools that you applied to, and then what made you pick USC?
Yeah, so I think my journey is a little bit crazy. I think my process was a little bit different than everybody else's, just because I graduated college a year early because I had done, um, dual enrollment when I was in high school. So I actually ended up graduating a year early, and at the time, I didn't have any mentors for dental school or anything like that. So I had no clue that you had to, you know, apply for dental school a year early. So, you know, you know, I was just chilling, like I'm like, oh yeah, like I'm about to graduate, and then I'm going to go to dental school. Like I had no idea about the process. Okay, like I was not thinking about the DAT, like all the lattes of bre, like I was just there for vibes and just shadowing, like I was chilling. Okay.
So basically, me and my friend, um, we started studying for the DAT, you know, and one day she just randomly asks me, oh, like, so did you send your applications already? And keep in mind, we're studying as I'm taking like summer classes, and this is like maybe mid-June, like at the, the time, like the application had already opened, you know? So I'm like, oh, like, you know, I still got like a whole year, like, you know, next year. And she's like, well, are you taking like a gap year? And I was like, no, like I'm gonna graduate and then like I'll just go into D school, you know? So I was truly so lost. And thankfully, she told me, you know, oh, like, you know, if you want to go right away, you have to apply now. So I was like, girl, what do you mean, like, why? Like, I honestly, I was freaking out. I literally just had to rush everything. So I think that's one of my maybe like biggest mistakes that I always like go back to, just make sure you do everything early because then you're going to be scrambling like I did. But I think it was also like, that's kind of how my life is in a way, like I love just kind of like the adrenaline of just moving fast and doing everything a little bit crazy, you know, it just adds a little bit of spice.
So I did end up, thankfully, you know, I scheduled my DAT for like July. I got all of my letters of w. So thankfully, I had my, you know, my people that I already knew who I was going to talk to, but I just thought I had a little bit more time. So thankfully, they came through for me, you know. I was not thinking about any school in particular. Like I didn't have any schools in mind. I didn't have a dream school per se. I just knew I wanted to be a dentist. So whichever school, you know, was going to be the best fit for me, that's where I was going to go. So I think that's like a little bit of a difference that I have compared to everyone else that I feel like everyone always has like a dream school, and that's how it was in college too. I think being an immigrant, you know, you, you want to just get in somewhere, you know, and be able to kind of, yeah, like I just was like, please anywhere, I will go, I will move, like I don't care what I have to do, but I'm going to do it. So I think like that was one of my biggest things. I just did not care where I was going to go. I just wanted to go to a good program and just literally be a dentist.
So after I scheduled my DAT for July, I was like, oh, I'm not ready. Like, I can't do this. So I ended up rescheduling to August, and I had sent in everything. I was like, thankfully my school helped me out with the transcripts and all of that, so that helped a ton. But, you know, I think like I still applied like super late. Like by the time my scores were processed, that was maybe like September, is like, you know, already approaching like that October deadline. And I think just, you know, uh, it was just like a kind of like a crazy process. Like I'm always saying, but I'm, I also believe in God, and, you know, everything works out for a reason, and he worked out a miracle, always, I say, because I, you know, like I said, everything was so late, and somehow he just had everything figured out. But I received my first, uh, official interview, um, by Tufts on, I believe it was like sometime after December. So it was like even after people already got their, like invites and everything, like it was like way later. People got their acceptances, and I was over here like, oh my God, like I'm not talking to get into dental school. And, you know, for me, like at the time, I thought that was the end of the world, which it really wasn't. Like, you know, I still had, like, you know, I had other plans if that wasn't the case, but I still knew somehow, like I still had, you know, something.
So in December, when I was not getting anything, I decided to randomly apply to every school that had like an extended deadline, which was like some schools had like deadlines in March, April. I just started applying everywhere. Like everyone else that I applied. So I applied here in Augusta, um, which is in Georgia. Um, I applied to a couple schools in North Carolina, and then, uh, a couple in Florida. I applied to VCU as well. Um, and then after that, I only wanted to stay in the East Coast, right? So I'm like, oh yeah, like, you know, it'll be fine, it'll be fine. And then December, it was like Christmas Day. I was like telling my parents, I was like, oh my God, like I didn't get it anywhere. Like I'm freaking out. And then, you know, I just decided to apply everywhere. So I applied to even, uh, I applied to Minnesota, I applied to Tufts, I applied to USC. Um, and then I applied to UOP. I applied to literally every single school, Buffalo, like Kentucky, like it was just a little crazy. I just was like, please, someone, like I was very desperate, okay?
And I think it was like, yeah, like January, Tufts invited me for an interview. And after that, I got another interview at Minnesota, and I actually ended up going there, and I visited the school, I toured, I talked to the people there. I almost could have went there. But then in sometime in March, I think I was still waiting for a decision for both Tufts and, uh, Minnesota. And then I got the email from USC in March, and I was so nervous because I just remember everyone telling me like, oh, like, you know, it's a very prestigious school, and like, you know, it's really hard to get in, like, you know, everyone's kind of like just trying to like put me down, like, oh, like it's, it's a long shot. And, you know, I'm over here like, you know, I thought it was a long shot before. December, they emailed me in March. It's, it's something, you know, like, it's got to be something.
So I did my interview process with them. I immediately fell in love with the whole process. How we do, we take the classes there, we have a PBL system, and I just kind of knew I was like, okay, like, I think for some crazy reason, this is where I'm going to end up. If they give me the opportunity, I think that's where I'm just going to go. And I didn't even think about it twice. Like I after I finished my interview, a month later, exactly from when they sent me the interview, they sent me the acceptance. Everything, and I was like, like, yep, yep, like this is exactly what I needed to hear. And I still, you know, had like the back of my mind Minnesota and Tufts. But I was like, you know, I just feel like this is just the right, the right thing to do, and it'll be a good change too, because I feel like I had been in all the states on the East Coast. It was just time to move to the West Coast at that point. So yeah, a little bit of a crazy, you know, everything. But somehow, if I would have had to do it all over again, I, I would choose USC every time, and I'm so thankful and grateful to be here. It's been honestly amazing. It, and yeah, I think it's like a, always like a crazy journey, but I'm so happy I'm here. And yeah, I think that's, long story, but that's my story. A little bit crazy.
That, yeah, I think it's, it's interesting to hear student stories because each one is different. And it was cool to hear yours and the fact that you applied late, you know, and applied really late, some of these back, which I think a lot of students hope. So that's awesome. What you had kind of alluded to, let's kind of jump into the school side of it here. PBL system, tell us a little bit about USC and what that is for those that
Yes, of course. Yes. So PBL, you know, I think it, it's a different learning style. It's definitely not for everybody, but it's a different way of us learning every course objective that we would in a regular lecture, but in a group setting and with a patient case. So it's kind of like, you know, if we're studying something about, you know, uh, arthritis or, you know, cancer, all of these different cases that we could see in real life as a dentist, we kind of go through everything about the disease in a group setting. So instead of us having to sit through like a two-hour lecture every day, we have these, um, group sessions. It's like about eight people per case, um, and you work with these people for about five cases, um, each semester. And then from there, we kind of just learn everything. It's kind of based on like a story, almost. So we get like each part of the case, and every case has like those like core objectives that we would in a regular lecture, but instead of sitting through that, then we talk about and we link all of the symptoms and how they're all related. And then we do kind of like our own research papers on how everything is, you know, related. And then we bring it back and we kind of like teach it ourselves in a way. And then we have obviously like, um, a facilitator that kind of walks us through if we're like, kind of like, you know, getting off the wrong, the wrong end of the, you know, disease or anything. So they're always there to support us. But I think it's such a cool way that I didn't experience in a bunch of other schools that I, you know, had the other programs. It was always like that lecture, the block system. But PBL was just so interesting to me, and I honestly love it. Like, it's so crazy that I feel like in undergrad, I was always having to study by myself, and now I can seem to stop studying with a group of people, and it's so cool because there's so many like perspectives, like we're not all the same. So I think that's also another cool part. We, we make these ideas while we're on the case of like what could be potentially happening to the patient, and then we go and research if they're right or wrong, and why, and the path of theology, and all these things. And sometimes it's like people have so many different like, you know, takes on it. Like I could think like this is this way, but this person, I would have never thought of it that way. So I think it's really cool to kind of just bring everybody together. And it also makes us meet more people in our class. Like our class is really big. We have, in my class, it's 144 people. And yeah, it's, it's a ton. I mean, I've heard some schools is like, oh, like it's only 50. And I'm like, oh, like 500 and something. Uh, so I think it's really cool way to kind of just, you know, get a little bit of like knowing everybody too, because you're seeing them a lot, you know, for the same kind of PBL case. We weren't in school, we, we're like in groups, so sometimes you may not see them. But so I think that's been a really cool experience for me. And I think it also helps too with like time management because I, I think, you know, with the lectures, like I feel like I would be having, you know, to be there and, you know, to kind of stress about it. But with PBL, it's like, you know, you kind of do everything on your own time, like learning, uh, course objectives and everything after class or, you know, before. You kind of get like that little bit of like, you know, time management where you can kind of like, you know, go practice or go to the beach, for example, since we're close. Um, so I think it's really cool that we have that at USC, and I love it. I, I honestly thinking back, like how many lectures I would have to do and see every single day in undergrad, I'm like, yeah, I couldn't do it.
I think it's interesting because some people are like, so is dental school a lot like undergrad? You're like, no, it's totally different. Like, literally, like it's nothing like it. Even if you're at a school that does straight lecture-based, it's totally different because it's just, it's drinking from a fire hydrant. I always felt like the classes and the tests were not necessarily as hard as undergrad, but it's just more, it's just like, yeah. And so it feels like a lot. And sometimes tests are extremely hard, depending on the class, but it's more of just like death by volume. You're like, I agree. Gosh, it's, I agree. It's insane. And I mean, it's like, I think it's also like, there's so much to learn in so little time that I mean, it, I just think especially with PBL, it just kind of helps tie everything together. And also the way that we're being taught, it, um, it's the way that we take the boards as well. So I think it, like prepares us for the boards as well, which I think it's just a great opportunity to kind of already have that, you know, beforehand and kind of like get used to that, um, when it gets that time, hopefully next year for me.
Break us down. So that's PBL, and I'm assuming that's a majority of like your first and second year classes are kind of like that. How is the clinical side structured at your guys' school?
Yes, so that's another big thing for USC. I think literally we get, like, I mean, I'm maybe I'm biased, but we do have pretty good hand skills over here. We do get exposed to being, you know, around drilling and all of that stuff. And and they're very like, you know, strict with it, but I think it just makes us, you know, it, it makes us better in the long run. I think it was like my orientation week, and on like the last day of orientation, we were already given like the drills and the little blocks where you do like the shapes and everything. And I just remember being so excited of being so nervous to even hold the handpiece. Like I have never held a handpiece in my hand, you know, before. And and sometimes, you know, like now I look back at some of those like square things and the shades and like, oh my gosh, it looks so terrible. And like, you know, like it's just like kind of like the growth that we get. I, uh, I mean, we got a lot of practice, thankfully, you know, thankfully we were like the class after the COVID class, kind of, so we were in lab a ton, and I think that helped a lot. You know, it's kind of like what they say, like practice makes perfect. So I think it was like, it's really like just going after class, like we would have. I think like our first class ever was like cariology, and it was just really those like nice little pre, like class ones, class twos, and everybody would be struggling. And now we look at them like, oh, like we can even, like, 10 minutes or something, like, you know, so I do think we get a lot of practice, um, in the lab, like hand skill-wise, you know, we do have, um, all of the faculty, super helpful. You, you learn so many tricks and tips from like different faculties that it's kind of like, you put them all together at the end, and you pick which one is best for you. Um, so yeah, they're tough on us, you know, but like I said, I think it just makes us better, you know, now that we're in clinic, we think back and we're like, okay, that's what they were like, you know, harping on this and do this, so that we wouldn't be struggling then when we're like on the actual patient and they have like saliva and the tongue and everything. So I think that that truly was really helpful for me. I mean, my hand skills were a little crazy in the beginning, okay, but yeah, you know, you know, you start, you start somewhere. But yeah, I think like the more you go and you put in the work, the better you're going to get. I mean, it doesn't get better than that. Yeah, that's so true.
So, and when you guys get to clinic, is you're kind of at the beginning of your more full-time clinic journey? It's the D3 now. What does that look like? And as a D4, oftentimes a lot of schools will say, hey, you can go on this external rotation. Schools call them different things, but basically going out in the community, like a community clinic, and getting some experience, you know, with less like faculty oversight. What does that look like at USC?
Yeah, so right now we have a couple like rotations, like, you know, kind of like, I guess you, we do call it like external rotations or something like that. Um, and it depends on your schedule. Like we all get like different rotations within the year. So last year, I wasn't in any that required me to go outside of school. I was mainly just in my pediatric rotation. So we were seeing patients in our clinic, like of the school. Um, but we do have like some off-sites where we go and work, um, in either like low-income communities, um, or, you know, we have clubs as well that kind of take us there. Um, so I think like one of my favorite ones, it's, um, the mobile clinics that we have. I mean, they, they're amazing. You know, we go to these communities of the best kids ever. I mean, I, that is like my favorite place. I love going there. I haven't even gotten to do like, you know, any fillings yet on them, but it's just seeing them and just being there with them and how happy they end up, you know, after they get treatment, it's just so amazing. So yeah, it's like we have a like a core, uh, team for those type of clinics. So you can join those and you go for like a weekend. And then we have rotations that are like week-long, and you just, you're working every single day. And that's true. We also like, I think like in our clinic, we do have to like get checked, you know, by our faculty and things like that. So I think we do get a little bit more like of that freedom, you know, try to like get everything, every patient that we can, you know, because these rotations are short, you know, so I think they're really good for like gaining a bunch of experience in such little time. And I'm super excited for whichever rotation I have next. I know that one is my favorite one, and I go just to volunteer. Um, but I know like people that are the D4s now that they're going, you know, on those and finishing their requirements and things like that. But we do have a bunch of like opportunities. We also, um, have, uh, like, oh, the clubs that I was saying before. So yeah, it's just, I mean, we have so many like little rotations. We have rotations in pediatrics as well. Um, we have an oral surgery rotation in the LA County Hospital. So it's like, we have so many opportunities to do like a little bit of everything that I think it just helps, you know, kind of like be prepared, you know, for when we're like in the real world and we kind of like, if we're already exposed to that early on, I think it just helps a ton. So yeah.
That is awesome. Well, it sounds like there's a lot of good things going for USC's program. Is there anything else like you feel that is kind of unique that USC has to offer?
Um, I think we do like, we have like so many like little things that it's kind of like everything. Yeah, like it's like we have so many things and it's like, I think as I also serve as one of the, uh, school ambassadors, so it's like I have so many things in my head, but I think one of the coolest things, especially like for pre-dentals or people that are applying to school right now, we have these "Fight On Fridays" where you can come to the school and tour the school, and just kind of like, we also have panels where you talk to like, you know, other students like me, even like the lower classes, D2s, and now the ones that are coming in, later on in August, like I think it's like next week they come. Um, so I think it's a really cool experience because like I said, I didn't have that when I was applying to then on school. Um, and I think it's a really cool experience to just see the campus, see what we have, you know, our facilities, you kind of even meet, you know, other like dental students, and some of us, you know, are still, you know, with our pages, so we kind of like post tips and whatnot on there. So I think that's honestly like the best, uh, program that USC has for like pre-dentals, um, that I wish I could have, you know, been. Yeah, so we do it like every Friday. Um, and I don't, obviously for me, I don't go every Friday. I just go like on the times that I that I can. Um, but we do have like the "Fight On Fridays." So I think it's a, it's a really good, you know, experience, and you just sign up, and then once you get the schedule, then you just come. And I mean, it doesn't get better than that. I mean, you get like firsthand look at the school. And we also have like pre-dental days with our, um, with some of our clubs as well. So you even get like a little bit of like hand skill experience. We show you everything. We do impressions day. So I mean, there's just so much that we have, uh, that I think it's super helpful for when you're like actually, you know, in the process of applying and trying to choose the best school and the best fit for you. So yeah.
So, okay, well, that perfect little segue going into what are some of your things that you advise students when you're going on those panels that you recommend? So let's kind of break it down to more specific here. Um, what are some things that you, you typically recommend for interviews? So you guys have, what, what interview style, I guess, is the better question, that USC likes to employ with?
Yeah, so if I remember correctly, we did a PBL style interview. So it was kind of like, kind of showing how we do PBL in the real class. So it was like, kind of like the eight, eight people in the group, and then we got like an example case, and we were throwing out ideas. We had somebody scribing everything, so that kind of gave us a feel of what, you know, our school would be like. So that was my favorite part of the interview because I mean, I was so nervous, but, you know, everyone else was nervous too, and we were all just there together, like we're all for the same, you know, trying to, trying to do our best. So I think that was like one of the coolest parts of the interview process. We did have, of course, like our one-on-one interview, and at the time, we were doing them virtual, so I was also kind of like this. Um, and then we had like, um, I can't remember what they were called, but they were those, um, like they're like those ethical questions that you record. Like it's like you and like, basically the computer. Yeah, Kira, I think is, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So we had that as well. I remember being so nervous for that, like I, because it would feel like so nerve-wracking, like, oh, you're trying to say, like, the right thing. Um, so yeah, that's kind of like those, that, that was those were the three, uh, main, you know, interviews that I remember from USC. From Tufts, we just had a virtual interview, and then same for Minnesota, it was just, you know, just us talking like this, like with the, obviously with the interviewer. Um, so I think my best advice to prepare for just interviews in general is practice with somebody that you don't know personally, but that knows you enough to like test you on that formality, you know, like, I think I had, uh, one of my, uh, like close, in a way, kind of person, but they weren't like close enough, you know, that they still could be like, you know, like trying to act like a, like an actual interview person, because I think that's a little bit intimidating, just seeing somebody that you know, you completely don't know, and you don't want to freak out because you know yourself, but it's still a little bit intimidating just talking to someone for the first time. You're, it's basically your life there. Yeah.
So I do think just preparing, you know, ahead, and just trying to think of, you know, you know, they already know who you are on paper, you know, your grades and everything like that. They're just trying to get to know you, personality, you know, like who you really are. So I think if you just know who you are and you practice that, and you know, you still be, you know, respectful, and you ask questions too. I think that was someone gave me that advice when I was applying, and I think that's great. Like, I think once you ask the questions, you will truly know if that school will be the best fit for you, because if you don't ask a question, how are you ever going to know, you know, how the school program is there and how the activities are there? So I think that's one of my biggest pieces for interviews, you know, just practice with someone who you, you know, but not really, but they're still going to be tough on you and give you feedback too, because you got to be, you know, flexible to hearing that, like, you know, okay, maybe you should work on this, and maybe don't say it like this, maybe say it this way, you know, it's still like, you still got to practice those, like interpersonal skills in a way. So I think that's super important. And yeah, that's that's my biggest one.
Well, in terms of other, oh, well, I guess this kind of goes along with the interview thing. What do you feel like USC really focuses on in terms of what they like in applicants? What are some things that you feel like, hey, this is a characteristic that they're really shooting for, something in the application that they really like, or some things they focus on in the inter?
I mean, I would say really working with other people because like I said, we PBL is like, you know, our biggest thing. You know, we kind of learn everything through PBL. You know, we learn everything that's non-clinical, like everything science, biology, everything through PBL. So if you cannot, you know, work with other people, maybe it might not be the best fit. But if you have that kind of personality where you're, you know, you're good with other people, and you're good with, you know, leading and listening to others, um, and just kind of sharing like all different perspectives, because we all come from everywhere, you know, and we all have like a different mind of our own. And sometimes, you know, two minds think better than one. So, you know, I think that's one of the biggest things that I see even when we work, you know, in our clinic stuff and preclinical, all of that, there are so many things that you still do in groups that you benefit from each other learning, oh, like maybe try to do this prep this way, or try this bur, you know, we kind of like lean on each other a lot in my opinion, at least that has been my experience. And that's something that is like completely different from undergrad, where I feel like I was having to do everything on my own. I think I rely a lot on my village, especially, um, shout out to my girls. So yeah, I think they, they definitely keep me grounded. And I think that's one of the biggest things for sure, like if, if you are good with working with others, I think it's super, it's a super, super, super skill to have, especially for USC.
That's awesome. Okay, any final pieces of advice that you have for pre-dental students out there, people that are looking into you?
Honestly, I always say it, apply early. You know, I think that's my biggest thing. If I had to do it all over again, I would do the exact same thing that I did, except I would literally have everything ready to submit the day that the application opens. Yeah. But other than that, you know, just be yourself. I mean, you've worked so hard for everything up until this point, so I think it's just going from there, just showing really who you are, and you'll be okay. Like, it, it's a hard road to go through, but, you know, what they say, if it was easy, everybody would do it. So it's just, you got to keep working. And the more work you put in, the better you set yourself up for success. So yeah.
Is awesome. All right, well, Emily, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today, and we will catch you all next time on the next episode of the Dental School Guide Podcast.
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