Hayley Lofquist '14

Haley Dental

Name: Hayley Lofquist                                          

Graduating Class: 2014

Major: Biology, Minors: Neuroscience and Studio Art

 

Your Story:  Hi, my name is Hayley Lofquist. I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College and I am currently attending dental school in Arizona! In my free time I love doing Zumba (I am an instructor!), wheel thrown pottery and playing with puppies! I am originally from Somerset, Wisconsin.

I first knew Gustavus was the perfect college for me when I stayed on an overnight visit. Not only was the school great on paper, but being immersed through an overnight visit allowed me to meet students, faculty and gave me a feel for being a Gustie—this is what really made my decision an easy one.

I was drawn to dentistry because I wanted to work in the health field and because of my passions for both art and science.  I discovered that dentistry was truly the ideal profession for me! This idea was confirmed through shadowing multiple dental specialties including pediatric, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, and general dentistry.

There were two specific dental experiences that really fortified my decision and helped to strengthen my dental school application. The first was volunteering at the Union Gospel Mission community clinic where I gained experience as a volunteer dental assistant, but more importantly saw what a profound impact dental care can make on underserved areas within the United States. Secondly, I attended the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry’s Dental School Preparation Course. This course gave great insight on the sort of lectures and material that dental students will experience. During the course, I also got my first practice at many procedures performed by dental students such as working on a dental simulation model performing crown preps and drilling caries. These experiences along with many others completely assured me that dentistry was the profession for me.


Top Five Activities/Experiences: (in no particular order)

  1. Tau Mu Tau Sorority, Community Service Chair

       2.  Volunteer dental assistant at Union Gospel Mission community clinic in Saint Paul, MN

       3.  Gustie Greeters

       4.  Dental School Preparation Course at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

       5.  Anatomy & Physiology and Biology tutor/TA

       6.  St. Lucia’s Women’s Choir

Advice:

  1. Realize that GPA and DAT scores are of the utmost importance. Extracurricular activities, volunteering, and leadership positions are important as well, but first and foremost you need to prove that you can perform well in school.
  2. Consider an intentional gap year between undergrad and professional school. I interviewed physicians, lawyers, and dentists and the consensus was that those who had taken a gap year thought it was the best decision. Their gap year gave them invaluable experiences that set them apart in applying to schools and many said it gave them the energy and excitement to continue working hard in professional school. Those who had chosen to go straight into professional school wished they had taken a breath of fresh air before the next long road ahead and in hindsight, wondered why they felt so rushed. A gap year is not the right fit for everyone, but definitely consider this option in pursuit of your future career.
  3. Do not give up. Even if you do not have a good GPA or DAT scores, if you are determined to succeed in your chosen health field, you will make it! (And there are always ways to improve your GPA after graduation and your DAT scores.) All you need is the desire to continually improve yourself and determination.

 

Future Plans:  I will be attending Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health starting the summer of 2015 to earn my DMD degree and my intention is to simultaneously earn a Master of Public Health, a dual degree program offered by ASDOH. I hope to go on to specialize in pediatric dentistry, after which I want to open my own practice in Minnesota. I hope to utilize skills learned from earning an MPH to work in community clinics in the United States and to volunteer my services abroad to those in need in third world countries.


                                                                                                                                                              Updated 7/20/2015 HB