My name is Qristine “Q” Owusu (she/her/hers), a senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences majoring in Psychological Sciences while on the pre-dental track. My interest in dentistry started in high school when I was doing a five-year healthcare opportunities program. My first three years in the program were focused on medicine while my last two years were when I dedicated myself fully to dentistry. 

Since then, I have done lots of outreach within my community, including shadowing nearby dentists in each field of study such as general dentists, orthodontists, dental surgeons, and many more specialties. When in the dental office, I have gotten hands-on experience from the doctors to see what it would be like if I worked in that specific field. I would talk to the patients, help the doctor, and even look at x-rays. I am still shadowing around the world virtually every month to be better informed in each field.

During my freshman year of college, I created an on-campus organization called “Minorities in Dentistry.” The main idea of the organization was to spread awareness about the dental field to minorities in high school. I would go to different high schools (also virtual) and speak on the type of careers you can pursue with dentistry, dental schools, cost, and more. Throughout all of these opportunities, I was able to learn more than I thought I would about the dental route in many ways. 

I hope one day to spread information around the globe about dentistry in each country. If you have any questions or concerns about dentistry, how to find a mentor, or anything else, please feel free to reach out with any questions–I would love to hear from you.