University of Otago’s School of Dentistry, ranked 12th in the world, currently has seven undergrads who have something else in common: their faith. They are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) and they someday hope to use dentistry skills to help others.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
“My wife and I packed up, sold our house, and left our jobs to move from Kalgoorlie (Western Australia) here to Dunedin in the hope that I would gain entry into dentistry,” recalls Terrence Reid. “It was a ‘make or break’ year for us, so I gave it my all.” He passed his First Year Health exams and has just begun Second Year as a dental student.
According to Jivarne Joseph, also starting his Second Year, “Health Science year . . . [is] where you have to achieve the grades needed to be accepted into dentistry. The work load was intense, and the amount of spots for dentistry were very limited." Jivarne adds, “I hope to be an example for future Maori students who wish to study in the health sector. I also would love to help out the Maori community with affordable dental care.” Six of the students are of Maori descent.
Joonhee Han did not give up when he was not accepted on his first try. "The most challenging thing I’ve had thus far was staying focused," he says, recalling how he started First Year Health Science in 2013, but was not successful with one of the required tests. "As the test was held once a year, I had to go back to my full-time job in Auckland and prepare for that specific test. I took the test again the next year, but the result was still not good enough to get me into the programme. At that time, I started to doubt myself and was fading away from my goal. "
Working full time and fulfilling family responsibilties and church callings seemed overwhelming for Joon at that time. "But thanks to my family's encouragements and the Lord’s help, I was able to pass the test last year. There were many times I wanted to give up . . . but my family was always there for me to motivate me and remind me of my goal. Their support and sacrifices are my greatest motivations. Also my goal, which is to serve people and community, helps me to stay focused and gets me going."
Summer Kendall, the only female among the seven, describes her personal motivation to take on dentistry as “knowing that when I finish my degree I’ll be able to help other people.”
She’s not alone. Kamryn Brown describes his reason for studying dentistry as having “always been interested in health and helping others" and "loving to interact with different people.”
Jonathan Martin always wanted to be a doctor. “I find dentistry to be an interesting specialisation of that,” he remarks. “I'm interested in helping my family, and giving service to those of less fortunate circumstances."
“I love the fact that I could help somebody with my own skill,” says Joon. “When I was young, I was touched by stories of doctors and dentists who sacrificed their time and talent to help those who were less fortunate.”
Jivarne considers dentistry “a very family friendly job that will allow me to spend time with my wife and child, but also give me the financial means to look after them. It also is a career that will allow me to serve other people.”
Hyrum Martin, a fourth year student who is cousin to both Jonathan and Terrence, agrees. “It’s a great career for a good balance of life, work, and family. I think what dentists are able to do to help quality of life is nothing short of amazing.”
Five of the seven students are fathers with young children. Six of the seven students have served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hyrum, Joon, and Terrence served in the Australia/New Zealand area while Jivarne, Jonathan, and Kamryn, respectively, knocked on doors in California, Uruguay, and Japan. Traditionally in the Church, male missionaries serve for two years at their own expense.
Some feel that a mission prepared them for the hard work at dental school. Hyrum points out that it was on his mission he learned “how to be self-motivated, to work unsupervised, without being told every step of your day and how it should be done. No one was physically there to see if you went through with it all. So it really came down to your own conviction and how true you were to the Lord and to yourself.”
Sums up Terrence: “I see myself enjoying dentistry . . . because I love people, and to deal with patients everyday will give me the chance to improve the quality of their lives and help to instil habits to promote a healthy lifestyle.”