A day in their scrubs
D3 Lau Maroto-Esteve
What did you do before dental school? I did the first two years at a community college here in Dallas, and then I finished my undergrad at UTD majoring in Molecular Biology.
What were your plans before dental school? I actually studied architecture in Spain, that’s where I’m from. I moved here in 2012.
How did you get interested in dentistry? When I moved here I didn’t really know what I was going to do. I had a really good biology professor who got me interested in anatomy. I was actually a pre-med student for a long time. My roommate at the time, Jennifer, was studying dentistry here at our school, and she suggested that I shadow a dentist because she thought it would be a good fit for me. I’ll always be thankful because she was right, I love it!
How have you handled school so far? D1 was pretty challenging, especially with it being all online. It had its good things, less time commuting and preparing lunch, but it was hard not to have classmates to socialize and build study groups with. D2 was great, it was all lab work which I love!
You’re creating a new study group for the school: It’s called Aesthetic and Cosmetic Dentistry Club, ACDC for short. It’s a study club created by students, lead by students. The purpose is to enhance learning opportunities about topics within cosmetic dentistry. I’d like us to learn more about dental photography, anterior restorations with porcelain & composite, implants, how the facial muscles affect the smile, things like that!
Hopefully it will be a good opportunity for networking, too. It’ll be the first cosmetic dentistry club in Dallas!
What is the process for creating a study club? To create a study club the first thing you need is to be passionate about something, and to realize that there are other people interested in the same thing. This project has been in my mind for a long time, but I didn’t pull the trigger until I felt support from other students and the faculty. Once you have the vision and the support, you need to find a faculty sponsor and write the bylaws.
When is the club’s first meeting? We just had our first meeting with all the officers. The ACDC is already planning some really exciting events for the year. There’s a couple of dental professionals I’ve talked to about giving some lectures and workshops. We hope to have our first workshop this Fall.
How the idea came about: I have a background in architecture, I’ve always been really artsy, and I like painting and creating things with my hands. Last year, during D2, which was mostly lab work, I realized I love to make things look beautiful. I like to pay attention to the symmetry, the structure, the shape and color. Unfortunately there’s not enough time in 4 years for students to learn everything that’s out there for us to learn. I thought this club would be a good opportunity to force myself to keep learning and to help other students do the same thing.
Where can people learn more about ACDC? As of July 19, we have an email account: acdcdentistry@gmail.com. We also have an Instagram account in the making @acdcdentistry. Follow us on Instagram if you want to keep learning, and to know about our upcoming events!
