While most students are eating dinner, Nick Potter is in his evening tooth carving class.
Potter, an exercise science student from Durango, Colo., is a pre-dental student at BYU. He is also part of BYU’s Pre-dental Club.
“Dental schools look for the holistic approach,” Potter said. “They’re not just looking for a solid GPA [and] tons of hours of experience. They’re looking for involvement and that’s what the dental club will allow you to do.”
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“In the past we did announcements, had some pizza and then we’d call it quits,” said Evans, a senior from Salt Lake City and exercise science major. “This year we’re going to be doing field day activities so that people can mingle with people that might be further along in the process.”
After the activities there will be an auction for a KAPLAN course which usually runs around $1,200 but students will be able to buy it for around $600. There will also be a raffle for J-Dawgs, Cafe Rio and other giftcards. Pizza and drinks will be served.
Evans encourages all students looking into dentistry to come to the event.
“The single most beneficial thing on my application to dental schools is being a part of this club,” Evans said. “It gave me perspective that you don’t find in the pre-health office … You don’t find the opportunities that we sponsor and provide anywhere else.”
BYU’s Pre-dental Club vice president Michael Vaughan, an exercise science major from Huntsville, Ala., is grateful for the emphasis the club places on community involvement.
“If not for the BYU Pre-dental Club I would have zero exposure to the local dental community,” Vaughn said. “Service and hands-on activities are big in the club. This unique exposure has given me a solid background of diverse experiences. Because the club got me involved in the community, I have the confidence and experience I’ll need when talking to admissions committees in interviews.”
The opportunities provided by BYU Pre-dental Club span across 17 different chairs, almost double from last year. One of the chairs is community health which organizes around 40-50 assemblies each year at elementary schools and teaches children about world health care. Afterward the volunteers work on the children’s mouths and put fluoride on their teeth.
BYU currently holds the record for the most pre-health student graduates over any other university in the nation.
“As Chris has been president, there is a theme and a feeling that we’re actually in it all together,” Potter said. “Even though we’re applying at the same time, we’re all here to help each other succeed. We’ve got your back.”
