D. Andrew DeHaan is a third-year dental student at the University of Detroit Mercy Dental School, originally from Shelby Township. He pursued dentistry because it was the perfect fit with the combination of biological science, intricate work and patient interactions. David firmly believes dentistry is a great profession, despite the hard work to get into it and get through dental school.
“One thing I truly enjoy is seeing the changes we can make,” he says. “For example, a patient of mine made some mistakes with her oral health in the past. But now, after seeing me for the past six months, she is maintaining unremarkable oral health and is going to be able to save her teeth. This experience was beneficial for her and rewarding for me.”
Interestingly, D. Andrew has twice gone to Honduras on a mission trip. “Serving these people with dental care was an experience I will forever remember. A layperson might not realize how blessed we are to have access to dental care. After seeing the extreme oral problems that these people had and how we could help them, I knew dentistry was the right choice.
“Winning the Michigan Dental Foundation Scholarship is a reward financially, but it also inspires me to work harder, knowing that my hard work thus far has been rewarded.“