Kailee Medved, DDS ’26, had a very specific reason for choosing the University. As someone with dual citizenship in the Philippines, her identity as a minority young woman is very important to her. “I love how diversity is celebrated at this school,” she said. “I also appreciate the ample opportunities to work in underserved communities, which is a passion of mine.”
Experience within her family has been an impetus for that concern of the underserved, she said. “My mother grew up in the Philippines, where she lacked access to adequate dental care. Her experience highlighted the often-overlooked impact that financial, geographic and systemic barriers to dental care can have on an individual’s self-esteem, overall health and quality of life.”
Medved has found a welcoming academic home here. “The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry recognizes existing disparities of care and actively works to reduce them,” she said. “From the start, we’re introduced to the broader impact of dental care through Dental Public Health courses, which emphasize diverse career paths available to address oral health inequities.”
She explained that in the clinic, care is routinely provided to patients with Medical Assistance (MA) insurance, which is not always accepted at other dental offices. “Many of my patients have delayed treatment for years due to financial hardship, which are similar to the challenges my mother once faced,” she said.
Being encouraged to explore and pursue her passions has been another positive aspect of her time as a student. “With the guidance and support of Dr. Uppgaard, a faculty member in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, I had the opportunity to lead an Anesthetic Course for third-year students,” she explained. “This course combined a didactic lecture with hands-on training, designed to prepare students before entering the clinic. It was a rewarding experience that allowed me to contribute to the education of my peers while further developing my own skills as both a clinician and educator.”
As she looks back over what she’s learned from her studies, she had this advice: “Be prouder of your failures than your successes. All my failures of the last four years have taught me so much about myself as a clinician and a person. You’ll fail, and that's okay. My favorite quote is, ‘Every master was once a disaster.’”