On April 7th, Tufts hosted their annual Pre-dental Day, which was open to all undergraduate, graduate, and nontraditional students who are interested in pursuing a career in dentistry. Being a pre-dental student myself not too long ago, I was very excited to be a part of this enriching day. I had previously attended LSU’s Pre-dental Day where it helped me gain so much insight on what I was getting myself into as a future dental student, and it was a humbling experience to be on the other side of the fence this time around as a first-year dental student.
After many months of planning, the day finally came. There were 60 pre-dental students registered and over 40 volunteers from our school to help us throughout the day. The day was kicked off with a presentation by ASDA, informing students on what the dental student-run organization is and how they can be a member even as a pre-dental student. The students were then split into two groups to go to their respective workshops; there was a wax-up and a composite workshop. The wax-up workshop showed a demonstration led by two of our faculty members, Dr. Saksena and Dr. Falzone, and afterwards the students practiced one on their own. In the composite workshop, Dr. Arsenault talked about the various tools and materials used for a composite filling. Thereafter, the students worked on their composite fillings with the volunteers. Once the workshops were over, the students were given a presentation on the application process and financial aid followed by a tour of the school. The day concluded with a student panel consisting of a representative from each year where they answered any questions that the pre-dental students may have in addition to a survey to assess the event.
The feedback we received was an absolute positive one. We had comments ranging from how great the volunteers were to how informative they found the presentations and workshops were. And many expressed Tufts as their number one choice for dental school. It was an amazing experience for not only the pre-dental students but to us, dental students. Not only did the day showcase how much we learned in our first year, but it also was a very rewarding experience for us to give back to those who’s shoes we were in a short time ago.
ASDA: District 1 