A day in their scrubs
Justin Morey
Hometown: My hometown is Cypress, Texas. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Undergrad institution: Texas A&M University, class of 2018. I majored in biomedical sciences with a minor in business. I was also on Texas A&M Men’s Swimming and Diving Team, 2014-2018.
How you got interested in dentistry: There are a few reasons, I think. Growing up, my family dentist was an influencing factor and a good family friend of ours. I was also interested in prosthetics when I started looking into a profession for my undergrad. As I was going through undergrad, I felt more inclined to find something that better fit my personality. I knew that I wanted to be working with my hands, and I wanted to settle down and have a family eventually. Dentistry felt like that perfect fit.
How swimming entered the picture: I started swimming back when I was around 2 or 3 years old. I started taking the sport more seriously when I was 10 years old. This is when I started doing year-round and doubles. That was in Cypress, Texas, with Cy-Fair Swim Club. I trained there up until my second year of high school. Then my dad and family got an offer to go to Australia for my dad’s work. When we went, I was fortunate enough to train with the Australian Olympic team. I did that for about a year and nine months. I knew that I wanted to come back to the States for college, so I was kind of just over there to finish up high school, swim, and enjoy Australia. When the time came to choose a school for college, I accepted an offer to go to Texas A&M.
How your time on the swim team helped you in school: One of the biggest things was, throughout my entire swimming career, I’d always been with a team. I’d always been with a group of people invested in a common goal. When I was looking at dental schools, I was looking for a place I could join and help build a team environment.
In terms of athletics, managing and balancing athletics with school can be very difficult. I think that really set me up well for dental school. Undergrad was probably the hardest time of my professional career. Dental school has been a challenge, but it was never as challenging as what I experienced in undergrad.
Favorite memory from your time with the College of Dentistry: My favorite memory has been the trips I have taken with Texas Mission of Mercy over the summer months with other students from the dental college. I have fond memories of the first patients I helped treat. It is a humbling opportunity and I highly encourage new dental students to engage on these kinds of trips.
Post-school plans: Either going into private practice or studying more to specialize in orthodontics or periodontics. I haven’t quite decided yet. I may decide to come back to school after practicing for a couple of years.
Words of wisdom: If you’re coming to dental school be prepared for the course load. Find a community, find a group of friends, and help push each other and keep yourself invested in your goals. It can get draining sometimes, so if you can find a group of friends that can keep you positive and motivated, I think that’s a good thing.
I think in terms of anyone who’s going into athletics or looking to do something in undergrad with athletics, I always compared that workload with this analogy. There is a triangle of three pillars you’re always trying to balance: your social life, your sports, and your school. If you pull too hard on one, you will feel the others slip. Finding a good balance is important; over time that triangle will get larger, and you will be able to take on more. Most importantly, find a way to have fun with whatever you are doing. If you can make every moment more enjoyable for yourself, that energy will carry and grow.
Editor’s note: Morey garnered both scholar and athletic awards at Texas A&M. Highlights included the SEC’s H. Boyd McWhorter Post-Graduate Scholarship, two-time honorable mention Scholar All-American by the College Swim Coaches Association of America, four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Dean’s List and Distinguished Student honors at Texas A&M University, and three-time member of the Aggies’ SEC Championship roster, among others.
