Dr. 阿曼达·雷·克朗奎斯特, DDS 2015届毕业生, 在圣安娜的日落牙科集团开私人诊所, CA. 2月9日, 2024 she was installed as the new president of the Dugoni School 校友 Association board of directors during the 125th Annual 校友 Meeting.

Why did you get involved in volunteering on the 校友 Association board?

我一直是一个积极参与的人. I like the comradery that comes with being a part of a like-minded group. I was both class president and ASB president during my time at the Dugoni School. It was an easy decision to continue to stay involved and continue the friendships, mentorships and other relationships I developed  while a student. 

What is your goal for your year as 校友 Association president?

我想让我们的校友为成为杜戈尼校友而兴奋! If you have ever met me, you know I am an enthusiastic individual. I want my enthusiasm for dentistry and my fellow alumni to be contagious, and to get more of our recent graduates involved in our annual meeting and other events we host throughout the year.

作为一个刚毕业的学生, I feel like my generation has lost the itch to be involved in our alumni association for many reasons: work, 家庭, 贷款, the ability to stay in touch in other ways such as 脸谱网 and Instagram. 另外, it is easy to get your CE credits on the computer while multitasking your practice and other responsibilities. 然而, there is something special when you get together with individuals who went through the same experiences and handle similar day-to-day work. I want our alumni to know their experience does not end when they’re handed their diploma; it is just the beginning.

What are the opportunities or challenges you see the Dugoni School’s new graduates facing as they’re entering the field of dentistry today vs. 当你在2015年开始你的牙医生涯的时候?

In just a short 10 years there are so many more toys as I like to call them! There will always be your traditional dentistry: prepping a crown, 包装线, 获取物理印象, 送去实验室了, 等. 现在, you can do almost every one of those steps with a fun toy; laser, 数字扫描仪, 发指令, 铣单元, 烤箱等等.  These leave room for so many opportunities, but also presents many challenges for new grads. You may get a little sneak peek at all of the different technologies while in school, but it is not nearly enough exposure to actually graduate and immediately start using it in practice. It will be a challenge, but if you know this stuff, it will set you apart from others.

另外, oral health is finally being recognized more and more as an overall health-related issue. We know as dentists the vital role oral health plays in one’s overall health, 但让公众参与进来一直是个挑战. This being said, the integration among different medical specialties is a challenge.

In my practice, my brother and I deal with a lot of patients who have breathing issues. Breathing issues as early as infancy affect jaw development, 闭塞, 夜间磨牙症, 演讲, 喂养, 行为等等. As dentists, we cannot fix the breathing issues by ourselves. There are many possible interventions, but a lot of the time it is not enough. 我们需要耳鼻喉科的帮助, myofunctional治疗师, 语言病理学家和其他人来真正帮助我们的病人. The challenge with this is getting our patients access to care by finding the right providers who understand the need for multispecialty intervention. The Pacific Health Care Collaborative being built in Sacramento is the first-of-its-kind academic health clinic integrating dentistry and medicine. 这正是我们的医疗保健系统所需要的. 作为应届毕业生, you will often find yourself in a situation of needing/wanting to refer a patient to a specific medical professional, and gaining trust and confidence from these professionals will be a challenge.

What do you recommend to students to help them balance their immediate dental career priorities and their long-term goals?

找一个导师! 当你刚开始的时候, your priorities will most likely be getting as much practice and experience as possible all while paying down your loan. Do not put too much stress on yourself to pay off your loan; it will happen. 找一个导师 or colleague you feel comfortable learning from and asking questions. There is nothing worse than starting off in your dental career and feeling lost. 在困难的情况下有人可以依靠, 回顾过去或即将进行的案件, or just vent to when you feel like you have had an off day is essential to staying positive and not getting down on yourself.

一旦你掌握了“现实生活”牙科的最佳状态, 你会玩得很开心的, and the smiles you put on your patients will make you forget about your 贷款 and you can just enjoy your work. 再一次。, my biggest recommendation is to find a mentor who can help you in your first few years after you graduate. 校友会会支持你的!

你喜欢怎样度过你的空闲时间?

Most of my time is spent with my wife and three kids, Wilder (4), Sequoia (3), and Oaks (1). 我们喜欢开舞会, 修理房子周围的东西, 游泳, 尝试新餐厅, 在寻宝时找到宝藏, 穿上戏服. When I am by myself, you can find me training for triathlons: running, bike or 游泳ming.