5 Questions With

Jia Kim
Class of 2023
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine

1. In 10 years, the biggest change in dentistry will be …

Upbringing of the technology and digital dentistry. Different kinds of digital dental equipment have already been developing, and it is matter of time for these to be widely used in the near future. With more refinement in these new technologies and (hopefully) lower cost through competition and ease of manufacturing, it will make it more available in many offices.

2. What’s the one piece of advice you would give to anyone in dental school?

Be yourself. I see and hear many dental students stressing from comparing themselves to their classmates. Only because their friend is studying or doing an extracurricular, they would go above and beyond thinking of ways to follow them or even mimic their schedule. However, everyone has different pace in learning and achieving their goals. Also, everyone has different lifestyles and needs. Not being yourself will tire you out quickly and bring you a lot of stress. Take a break when you need to, keep your hobbies, take care of your loved ones and manage your workload to fit your needs and wants. You don’t have to be like others.

3. What gives you the most satisfaction as a student?

As a dental student, we provide comprehensive care to the patients. I get to build rapport with them throughout multiple visits. Some of my patients have asked me where I would be when I graduate. It is a great satisfaction and happiness when they say they want to come to where I will be working if I stay in the area. These are some of the most rewarding moments being a student dentist.

4. Who is your go-to person when you need advice?

I go to my advisors and professors. There is no one person I go to, since I feel each of the instructors has different interests and specialties regarding dentistry and life. One of the people I go to often is my team leader, Dr. Miniotis, and my professor, Dr. Nerone.

5. What do you look forward to outside of school?

I look forward to the life of a working dentist. It has been long and many years of schooling to become a dentist. I wish to be out of school and have some responsibilities of making decisions and working, and be a professional. It will only be the beginning of my journey as a dentist, as I graduate from being a student.