Perks of being a Pre-Dental at UCLA

There are so many perks of being a Bruin (the best kind of bear in my opinion, but I’m biased heh). Not only do you get to eat at Rendezvous and work out at Wooden right after to make yourself feel better, but you also are directly under the wings of the UCLA Dental School. There are endless possibilities as a pre-dental student at UCLA, that if “I want it, I got it”.

Jokes aside, I am truly blessed to be so closely associated with UCLA Dental School. Coming into UCLA as a first year, I had absolutely no previous experience as a pre-dental, let alone being at a dental office or school. I was so lost on campus even with Google Maps, but one thing I did not lose was my thirst to learn. Determined to find every opportunity to pursue dentistry and become a successful student, I desperately sought out dental clubs at the Enormous Activities Fair, where I discovered Pre-Dental Student Outreach Program (PDSOP).

As the one of the biggest pre-dental societies of UCLA, PDSOP opens so many opportunities to serve, learn, and connect. Through its close ties with UCLA ASDA, I had the privilege to serve at UCLA Give Kids a Smile Day, Care Harbor LA, and UCLA General Volunteer Clinic, where students can volunteer around the different departments of dental school and shadow dental students in clinic. Through the Basic Dental Principles (BDP), I was able to learn about the basics of dentistry in the lecture portion and improve the hands-on skills with dental student TAs in the lab portion. Also as a member of the Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA) Translators Program at UCLA, I translated for patients who could not speak English. These are just a few examples of opportunities I participated in, simply due to such diversity of events available. With the amazing UCLA ASDA Pre-Dental Committee and their efforts to connect the dental and pre-dental communities together, UCLA undergraduates are privileged to get such exposure in their early years. Seek, and you shall find.

But GOOD NEWS!!! UCLA School of Dentistry is not only open for UCLA undergraduates. Especially in this COVID Era, UCLA ASDA is opening ample opportunities for other students who are passionate about dentistry through virtual events and programs. Be on the lookout on Instagram and Facebook for upcoming events, because we’re planning awesome things right now– *spoiler alert*– from webinars to connection opportunities through fun socials that we’ve all been waiting for! Come experience the close-knit community that I find so special, because I am most certain you will as well.

Ga Young (Genesis) Seo, University of California, Los Angeles, 2021