Words by Anna Lee Vaughn | Images by Ryan McGill
Jasper native Carolina Grace recently graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Dentistry. Carolina originally wanted to attend art school, but a visit to the dentist shifted her interests.
During her first year at Bevill State Community College, Carolina visited her dentist for a regular check-up and became interested in dentistry, specifically the cosmetic side of the field. She went home and began researching, asking herself, “How do I get from where I am now to dental school?”
Carolina completed all the prerequisite courses and prepped for the dental school admissions exam as she transferred to UAB to complete her bachelor’s degree. She details her struggles with getting accepted to dental school.
“I applied to twelve schools the first time and was told no by all twelve. So, I picked up the phone, called their admissions offices, and asked them what I could improve. Each one said it was my DAT score,” says Carolina. “So, I took two gap years after graduating and worked full-time for the chemistry department at UAB. I studied hard, retook the DAT exam, and applied to fifteen schools. I ended up getting five interviews and two acceptances.”
Between Rutgers University in New Jersey and UAB, Carolina chose to stay close to home and continue her education at UAB School of Dentistry. She recently completed the four-year process and is now looking forward to completing her residency at UAB.
Moving forward, Carolina plans to pursue the cosmetic side of the field, combining her love for art and dentistry. During her residency, she will study Prosthodontics, a branch of dentistry that focuses on crafting replacements for missing or damaged teeth through dentures, implants, crowns, and veneers.
After her three-year residency, Carolina is considering extending it another year and studying maxillofacial prosthodontics, where she will learn to sculpt prosthetics such as ears, noses, and eyes. Once her residency is complete, Carolina is unsure of what the future holds, but she does plan to return home to Jasper to provide the community with her dental expertise.
The Walker Leader congratulates Carolina on this achievement and wishes her much success in her future endeavors! WL
