“The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly altered the traditional predental experience. Due to this public health crisis, there are a number of requests from community-led initiatives, government agencies, charitable organizations and nonprofits in public health for volunteers in a variety of roles,” says Poonam Furmah, a second-year dental student at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine. 

“This pandemic, although dreadful, offers unique opportunities for prehealth students to serve their local community. However, students must make informed decisions and maintain a superior standard of care to prevent further community spread to themselves and others,” Furmah said. “Not only will this add valuable skills to your repertoire, but it will also benefit those who need it most during this uncertain time.” 

Wendi Clanton, third-year dental student at Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, recently connected with the ADEA GoDental team to share her experiences and advice as someone who recently made a career change to dentistry. Read on to learn how she made her way back to her first love of the dental professions later in her career.