Pre-dental student volunteers

Author: Anna Martens | Major: Biology | Semester: Fall 2022

This past year I had the opportunity to serve at a life changing free healthcare center called WelcomeHealth in Fayetteville, Arkansas. As a pre-dental undergraduate student, I am always looking for ways to use my passions to better the community I live in. At the beginning of the Fall semester, I got an email about an internship opportunity at an extraction clinic in town and I was desperate to get it! I had prior experience being a dental assistant and I knew that I would be a great fit for the internship. Sure enough, I got it and showed up the first Thursday of school ready to be put to good use.

Everything about this place is so welcoming. When I showed up, the staff was very kind, and the student volunteers were happy to show me around. I watched one patient go through and felt confident enough to get the next one. I got to assist tooth extractions the rest of the night and left feeling grateful and fulfilled by how I had spent my evening. I had never experienced patients with such gratitude for dental care. Not only do I feel like I am making an impact on them, but they are always making an impact on me. I continue to volunteer weekly at WelcomeHealth a year later because I continue to learn and grow as an individual.

Things I do here on a weekly basis include setting up trays, going over patients’ health history, taking vitals, assisting tooth extractions, taking x-rays, assisting fillings, and sterilization. I have learned other valuable skills such as leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. In a health setting, it is vital to communicate with the doctor because you are constantly relaying information from the patient to them with a patient’s health at stake. Things also don’t always go as planned which has pushed me to better my problem-solving abilities to be able to adapt and accommodate to a patient’s needs. It has all come full circle because now that I have been volunteering here for over a year, I get to teach other students how to assist and introduce them to WelcomeHealth. I have grown to love teaching and leading other students to serve that will eventually take our places when we graduate in May. This place has given me such a unique dental experience compared to everything else I have done. It has really exposed me to see the need for dental work and health care in general especially for underprivileged communities. It has softened my heart and strengthened my desire to give back to the community. Working directly with individuals has allowed me to develop empathy and a deeper understanding of their circumstances to be able to appreciate the unique stories, complexities of people’s lives, and the factors that contribute to their circumstances. Serving here has pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged personal growth. My time here has confirmed that dentistry is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

I have also learned so much from the doctors and assisting a variety of procedures. The doctors are extremely patient and love to teach students which I appreciate so much. They take the time to educate and challenge us to make sure that we are learning. As student volunteers, we have so many privileges at this clinic and get to do things that we wouldn’t be able to do anywhere else. Working hands on and face-to-face with patients has been the best way to learn. I leave WelcomeHealth on Thursdays feeling proud of myself because I am always pushed to problem solve, do something out of my comfort zone, or just do something I have never done before.

I applied to dental school this summer and am in the middle of the interview process currently. I am excited for the next chapter of my life, which is to attend dental school this next fall and I am grateful for all the places and people I have met on my journey to get there. I am thrilled to get to practice dentistry as a career and am inspired by WelcomeHealth to continue to volunteer and use my gifts to better a community!