Putting patients first, always

Growing up, if you told Rachel Wians she would pursue her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Minnesota, she would not have believed you. A proud Wisconsonite, she always expected to become a Badger--but she fell in love with the Twin Cities and all it had to offer, and the rest was history. 

After seeing a fellow track teammate’s love for the School of Dentistry, Wians made the decision to pursue her doctorate in Gopher territory, too. “The community I have found here with my classmates and faculty has exceeded my expectations,” she explained of the choice. “I am so happy I chose to set up shop in the Twin Cities for all this time.” 

Patient care and excellence in the clinic setting is at the forefront for Wians as a student and a practitioner.

In her mind, there are two kinds of patient care: the first is technical. “However, the reality is that our patients are not going to appreciate how smooth our margin is on the interproximal boxes of our MODL composite,” she joked. That is where the second aspect of patient care comes into play: “What matters to them is how they were treated.” 

For Wians, a successful clinical experience involves the formation of a personal relationship, where a patient is confident in their clinician and the care they receive. “My hope is that my patients leave my office with excellent fillings and excellent feelings,” she said. 

This belief in the importance of excellent and relational patient care is personal for Wians. Growing up with a brother with autism, she understands the struggle her brother and parents endured trying to find excellent care for him. “It was shocking to hear how many barriers my parents faced finding a dentist who could accommodate his needs,” she recalled. 

Wians’s experiences serving on outreach, working on Give Kids a Smile, and treating special needs patients have helped her embrace a personal model of care that will help any child feel safe and cared for. “My hope is that we will all do our best to see from the eyes of the family of a child with special needs, empathize with the barriers they face on a daily basis, and work with the family to make their child’s dental care the best it can be.”

Wians’s heart for children and their care is strong, but her love for general dentistry is just as strong. She hopes to become an associate at a private family practice, where she can build generational relationships. 

When she leaves the School of Dentistry, Wians knows she will bring a supportive, strong community with her. 

“You don’t become a great dentist in isolation,” she said. “You become a great dentist by learning from your peers, gaining valuable advice and insight from faculty in the clinic, and connecting with our incredible patient population. That is my favorite thing about the School of Dentistry: the community.” 

involvement

Member, Psi Omega
Vice President and Student Representative, American Student Dental Association
Volunteer, Give Kids a Smile
Dental Student Ambassador

hometown

Middleton, WI

 

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