What I would tell a pre-dent student:

I would like to let people know that if you want to do it, you definitely can. You just can not underestimate the preparation process. Don't set your goals to be above the minority average, but above the national average. Do everything that you can to make you application competitive, such as participating in clubs and extracurricular activities, doing research, and shadowing a dentist. The average DAT score is about an 18, but I would shoot for a 20 or above. Also, the average GPA is about a 3.3, but I would aim for a GPA of about a 3.5 or above. Also, keep in mind that the GPA that you will be applying with will be the one that you have after you have completed your junior year. You will not have your senior year to boost your application GPA unless you apply a year late. Stay encouraged, and remember that if we could do it, so can you!


How many schools I applied to:

I only applied to Baylor.

Why I chose to only apply here:

I applied while I was attending the summer program at Baylor. I only applied here because it was my number one choice.(LSU was my 2nd). The application to Texas schools of medicine and dentistry is seperate from the AADSAS (as is the one for LSU), so the Texas application has an earlier deadline, and I actually got my letter of acceptance to Baylor before the application deadline for LSU had passed. If I did not get accepted to Baylor, I would have applied to my second school of choice(LSU) as well as a few others.

The classes that I am glad I took were:

Microbial Pathology (Muganda)
Animal Physiology ( Spencer)
Microbiology Lab (Lewis)
Histology (Metevia)
Microbial Genetics Biochemistry I and II


Classes that I wish I had taken were:

Human Anatomy OR an A&P class
Embryology Cellular and Molecular Biology


My first semester in dental school can be described as :

A big change! I had to make new friends, I moved to a new state(not too far though), and I had to search for a new church to attend.  I learned so much about myself, and just like in undergrad, I look forward to personal growth, self-discovery, and the formation of life-long relationships, from classmates to faculty members. Concerning the academic aspect, many tests test the ability of the students to remember minute details from the notes. Biology courses are good to take not only for the knowledge gained and retained, but also to test memory.

The biggest adjustment for me was:

Being away from my twin sister, and not being able to be there for her. But we both have grown individually, in a way that would not have been possible had we been at school together. I'm glad now that I chose Baylor, but I do plan on going back to Louisiana after I graduate.

The type of study skills that I believe should be developed in undergrad are:

I didn’t have superior study habits in high school or undergrad. I studied enough to get the overall concept and some fine details, but what I think is important on the professional level is to remember the details to the point where you can teach it and answer any questions about that topic. If you practice doing this in undergrad (even if you are doing well), then you will be better off, because there are no essay tests, just multiple choice in dental school (at least at my school).

The advice I would give someone who is wondering how to best prepare for dental school is:

In my opinion, there is no preparation you can do but what I previously mentioned. Take all of your classes seriously, and learn to make sacrifices for you academics now, if you haven’t already. Other than that, dental school is not that bad. I really believe that if you can make it in, you can make it out as long as you do your part.  But please understand, school is very challenging, and very demanding. There may be times where you feel as if you've prepared yourself so well for a test and there's nothing that you could possibly miss.....and then the professor QUICKLY proves you wrong.

ALSO keep your books!! We used the same histology book that we used in undergrad. In addition, some books are good enough (even if they aren’t the same books) to use as a reference in classes. For example, it wasn’t mandatory to buy an Immunology book, but many people bought it for a reference or for clarification purposes. If I had kept mine from undergrad, I would have saved money.

The affect Hurricane Katrina had on me:

As I mentioned, my unit (a medical unit) was activated during the hurricane, and i missed 3 weeks of school. It was devastating because I was afraid for my sister (she was in the Superdome when the reports on the news were that the roof was falling apart).  I was also extremely heart broken for the families that lost so much. It is still very sad to think about because we take so much for granted.  Just prior to that, I was depressed over grades, but after the Katrina, I realized just how little a bad grade is in the big scheme of things.  School is important, but what means more to me is that I was able to contribute at least a little bit to the relief effort. 

         I've always had a passion to reach out to other people, but now that has been enhanced. I want to use my professional skills to help rebuild Louisiana. I want to reach out to people who can use whatever help I can give, and not put it off until later. The chance may not be there tomorrow.

          I remember once my sister told me about a girl she ran into in a store who had pretty microbraids. Kristina asked the girl who did her hair, and she told her that she did them herself.  So when I went to New Orleans, I called the girl          (I forgot her name) to get braids done. I ended up going to her house in the 9th ward where I met her family.  The girl was only about 17 or 18 and she told me about her ambitions of graduating high school and becoming an LPN. I  remember her little sister and brother who seemed wise beyond their years because of the environment they were placed in. The little girl in particular caught my attention because her countenance was sad; she looked like she had been through a lot but still wanted to be a little girl.  There were a lot of them.(the girl had an older sister who had a daughter) and I know they didnt have transportation. Now everytime I think about Hurricane Katrina, I see the little girl's face and wonder if she is even alive. I may never know.  It makes me really sad and the only way to alleviate that sorrow is to try to think of ways I can really truly make a difference.  I'm going to do my best to do that in dentistry.

What specialty, (if any) I would be interested in:

I would love  love love to be a pedodontist. I love love love little people. They are so pure in heart. The bible says that if we are to enter into the kingdom of heaven, we should become as little children. They are so impressionable, and the experiences they have will affect what kind of adult they become.

However, if the opportunity is not there I would enjoy being a general dentist. I love the versatility and I dont think I would ever get bored.  Plus, I could still have a little room just for kids!!!