Mentor program spurs cycle of giving for DDS students

Dental school can be challenging. A new environment surrounded by new people, where new skills must be quickly learned and implemented, often leads to stress and discouragement. Armed with experience and aided by student affairs staff, School of Dentistry students are taking what they learned and passing it on to their classmates.

The School of Dentistry Mentor Program, sponsored by the Office of Admissions and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Office of Student and Resident Affairs, connects first-year students to older dental classmates, fostering a formal relationship. Mentors and mentees connect in the spring before the first year students’ program begins, allowing students to get to know their mentor and get the support and information they need in the months leading up to their first semester.

Through the mentorship program, incoming first-year students get to experience the School of Dentistry environment before it even begins. For Anh Ngo, DDS ’24, a collaborative environment was what encouraged him toward the University of Minnesota in the first place. “I was so impressed with the supportive, caring and inclusive culture,” he explained. “Senior dental students whom I had never met offered their help!”

Coming from a background in international business and finance, Ngo knew he would need some support in making the transition to dentistry. “Dental school is tough,” he said. “I tried to find all the resources I could to help me study, so I was really excited to hear from the admissions office about the opportunity.”

The mentorship experience proved successful for Ngo, whose mentor helped him prioritize course load and study plans. “I learned how to study and manage my time more efficiently,” he explained.

In fact, Ngo loved the experience so much that he’s volunteering to serve as a mentor to an incoming student this year. “I decided to become a mentor for three reasons,” he explained: “self improvement and fulfillment, to be a part of something bigger than myself and to carry on the culture of care and support at the school.”

Ngo’s experience is not uncommon; Ciara Houser, DDS ’23, also chose to become a mentor after her own experience. “I had a mentor my first year who helped me a lot with navigating the transition to dental school,” she explained. “She gave me so many resources, and was always there to answer any of my questions. I wanted to be that for someone else.”

Houser enjoyed the experience of meeting a new person and creating a connection that might not have otherwise been possible given the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. She reflected on the “really rewarding” experience of sharing her knowledge with the next class. “To know that a study strategy or guide was able to help someone else is a really great feeling,” she said.

She also found some reassurance in her own experience as a first year. “My mentee had a lot of the same questions I had for my mentor as a first year,” she explained. “It made me realize that even though at the time I felt a little alone, I really wasn’t.” She hopes she passed that same feeling of community on to her mentor.

As a new mentor cohort begins this spring semester, Houser is looking back while Ngo looks forward. Houser’s focus is on the success she found in the program, and her hopes for her mentee. “We’re all in this together!,” she reflected. “Finding mentors in classmates is important, because they’re a great resource for questions about school, dental organizations, specializing and living in the twin cities, because we’ve already had to navigate it. A program like this helps bridge the gap between classes, and allows students to become friends.”

Ngo agrees with the value of the program, sharing that “it helps first year students have a smoother transition into dental school.” As for the future, he can’t wait to get to know his mentee. “I hope to give them support and create long-lasting friendships,” he said. “I’m excited to see my mentee’s improvements, and hear their stories about their adventures in dental school.”