Braced for success: Trine student Young got support to excel in dental school

Kinzey Young knew Trine University wasn’t a traditional choice for someone wanting to go on to dental school.

But she also knew it was the best choice for her.

“Both of my parents attended Trine, so I had the opportunity to see the campus over the years and I fell in love with the small, beautiful campus,” she said. “I went to a small high school, so I wanted to pursue a school that had a small, community feel where all of the professors knew your name in the classroom.”

The Coatesville, Indiana, biology major has been accepted to the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences in Kirksville, Missouri, and will begin in July.

‘Amazing experience’

Kinzey became interested in dentistry in high school after job shadowing in a health careers class. She did a dental internship her senior year of high school.

“I have always wanted to go into a healthcare field, but I realized that dentistry was my passion when I started shadowing and loved everything about it,” she said. “Dentistry is a field that many do not always deem necessary, but it can have an effect on the entire body. I have a passion to help educate the public on the importance of oral health and provide a positive experience for each of my future patients.”

Although Trine didn’t offer a dedicated pre-dental program, Kinzey said she had “an amazing experience with constant support along the way.”

“I had meetings with Dr. (Angela) Bojrab discussing the steps I needed to take to attend dental school, including Dental Admission Test (DAT) studying tips, applications and interview strategies,” she said. “In addition to specific dental school advice, Trine has an amazing biology program that prepared me very well for the DAT and provided me with the background knowledge that I will take with me into dental school.”

Acceptance and future plans

Kinzey studied for the DAT for about four months. The test consists of questions in natural sciences, perceptual ability, reading comprehension and quantitative reasoning.

After taking the test, she applied to dental schools and received interviews with schools in Arizona, Missouri and West Virginia. She received a call on Dec. 15 with the news that she was accepted to ATSU Missouri School of Dentistry.

“Being accepted gave me a major sense of happiness and accomplishment that my hard work and dedication finally paid off,” she said.

She hopes to eventually own a practice in a rural community.

“I am not sure whether I want to specialize and do a residency after dental school, but I am definitely open to the idea,” she said. “I feel that I have so much to learn about dentistry before I can commit to a specialty.”

“I just want to encourage anyone who is questioning whether they can do a career to try it even if they doubt if they can do it. I definitely had doubts that I would not be able to go to dental school, but I am so thankful for all of the support and reassurance from my family and friends that led me to where I am. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but it is possible and feels amazing when you complete a goal that you have been dreaming about for so long.”