Abby Wojcik is a senior dental hygiene student at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. A native of the Upper Peninsula, she grew up in a small town outside of Marquette leaving behind the snow and waterfalls for the big city.
Her interest in a dental career started during an internship program in high school, where Wojcik assisted at several dental offices in the community. But her “ah hah” moment came at UDM just before Medicaid discontinued their dental coverage in July 2009. A scheduling mix-up left Wojcik treating her classmate’s patient.
“She was, a stroke victim with limited mobility and the kindest eyes I had ever seen,” Wojcik said. “She could not communicate very well and her caregiver left something to be desired. I wanted to provide her with the best care I could and with a smile on my face. I had never worked so hard in my life, but it was the most rewarding (and exhausting) days of my life.”
For Wojcik, it’s all about patient interaction. While there are certain procedures she enjoys performing over others, the real enjoyment, she says, comes from oral hygiene instruction; listening to patients’ concerns and responding with the knowledge she’s gained from UDM. But if she had to pick one area to focus on the rest of her life, it would be working with children.
“Their little minds and little teeth always keep me on my toes,” she said. ”Give Kids a Smile Day is a perfect example of my heaven!”
However, her ultimate goal is to teach. Wojcik said she’s received incredible feedback from faculty at UDM and it has inspired her to work on her master’s degree so she can pass on her knowledge and love for oral healthcare.
In addition to the clinical side of her dental career, Wojcik said she’s an active in the leadership side of organized dentistry. She’s been an active member of the Student American Dental Hygienist Association. Although it’s been hard for her to find time to make it to other professional meetings, she is excited to play a more prominent role in the American Dental Hygienist’s Association.
Wojcik’s advice to students thinking about a career in dentistry is to expect hard work, but to understand that those long days and aching backs will be rewarded with wonderful patients, extraordinary experiences and an immense sense of pride in the simple fact that you are helping others.
“The amount of work you have done up until this point will repay itself in ways you may not even realize,” she said. “You will never know what your next patient may teach you or how you may impact someone’s life.”
Abby Wojcik is a senior dental hygiene student at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. A native of the Upper Peninsula, she grew up in a small town outside of Marquette leaving behind the snow and waterfalls for the big city.
Her interest in a dental career started during an internship program in high school, where Wojcik assisted at several dental offices in the community. But her “ah hah” moment came at UDM just before Medicaid discontinued their dental coverage in July 2009. A scheduling mix-up left Wojcik treating her classmate’s patient.
“She was, a stroke victim with limited mobility and the kindest eyes I had ever seen,” Wojcik said. “She could not communicate very well and her caregiver left something to be desired. I wanted to provide her with the best care I could and with a smile on my face. I had never worked so hard in my life, but it was the most rewarding (and exhausting) days of my life.”
For Wojcik, it’s all about patient interaction. While there are certain procedures she enjoys performing over others, the real enjoyment, she says, comes from oral hygiene instruction; listening to patients’ concerns and responding with the knowledge she’s gained from UDM. But if she had to pick one area to focus on the rest of her life, it would be working with children.
“Their little minds and little teeth always keep me on my toes,” she said. ”Give Kids a Smile Day is a perfect example of my heaven!”
However, her ultimate goal is to teach. Wojcik said she’s received incredible feedback from faculty at UDM and it has inspired her to work on her master’s degree so she can pass on her knowledge and love for oral healthcare.
In addition to the clinical side of her dental career, Wojcik said she’s an active in the leadership side of organized dentistry. She’s been an active member of the Student American Dental Hygienist Association. Although it’s been hard for her to find time to make it to other professional meetings, she is excited to play a more prominent role in the American Dental Hygienist’s Association.
Wojcik’s advice to students thinking about a career in dentistry is to expect hard work, but to understand that those long days and aching backs will be rewarded with wonderful patients, extraordinary experiences and an immense sense of pride in the simple fact that you are helping others.
“The amount of work you have done up until this point will repay itself in ways you may not even realize,” she said. “You will never know what your next patient may teach you or how you may impact someone’s life.”