One sure sign of having a good job is when you leave work with a smile on your face. For Josh Holsey and the students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, the sign of a great job is when other people leave your work flashing that same sort of wide grin.
“A smile is the universal sign of happiness, and when people can’t do that due to health complications, it only has negative effects on their view of life,” says Holsey, a third-year dental student from Birmingham. “The services I will provide as an oral healthcare professional can help improve people’s self-perception, and I believe that will help change lives for the better.”
Holsey earned a degree in biology from UAB before entering the D.M.D. program. He says the exposure he received to the SOD during his undergraduate years convinced him that there was no reason to look beyond his hometown for a dental school to attend.
“This is one of the best dental programs for gaining an extensive amount of clinical experience,” Holsey says. “There is a large patient influx in the city of Birmingham, which will ultimately prepare me to be able to confidently treat various dental needs.”
He also credits SOD faculty like Edward Bradford, D.D.S., M.P.H., for his choice of profession. Aside from Bradford’s reputation as an outstanding instructor, Holsey says, “Seeing someone that looks similar to me gave me reassurance to pursue this field.”
It did not take long before Holsey had a clinical experience that confirmed his decision to pursue dentistry as a career. One of his patients had a crown fracture on his front tooth, and after Holsey repaired it with a composite restoration, the patient told him, “I can’t even tell where you fixed it, because it looks just like it was before it cracked.”
“That was absolutely the confidence boost I needed to keep giving my all in clinic,” Holsey says. “I genuinely enjoy doing dental work. My third-year clinic has reassured me that I am in the right field.”
In addition to his clinic duties, Holsey is preparing for his future career through his affiliation with student organizations like the UAB Esthetic Dentistry Club and the Student National Dental Association (SNDA).
“Obviously our course curriculum teaches us how to do nice work,” Holsey says. “But going the extra mile and immersing yourself in more knowledge on how to have the best functioning and aesthetic restorations possible is why I joined the Esthetics Dentistry Club.”
Beyond honing his technical skills, Holsey wants to give back. “The SNDA focuses on community service, as well as helping students maximize their potential,” he says.
Last year, Holsey represented UAB at the Hinman Student Research Symposium in Memphis, which he says has been his greatest accomplishment in dental school so far. But Holsey has several more goals he wants to achieve before graduating from the SOD.
“I look forward to completing treatment on some of my more complex patient cases,” Holsey says. “I’m really looking forward to seeing their faces once everything is complete.”
There is good a chance that those faces will all have a big smile on them.