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Drs. Britni Duffie and Dawn Miller McElroy ran this year\u2019s Summer Pre-Dental Enrichment Programs. They attended the programs before entering dental college, and both graduated from Texas A&M University College of Dentistry in May. (Texas A&M)<\/p>\n
Texas A&M Dentistry<\/a> graduates Drs. Britni Duffie and Dawn Miller McElroy led A&M\u2019s free Bridge to Dentistry Summer Pre-Dental Enrichment Programs<\/a> for prospective students this year.<\/p>\n SPEP teaches students through both rigorous lecture sessions and interactive lab work, allowing them to gain valuable dental knowledge and experience.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a critical and exciting time in their academic journeys,\u201d Duffie said in the program\u2019s press release. \u201cOur understanding of that helped us to anticipate what questions they would have, how they\u2019re feeling and to offer resources and advice that helped us.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Dr. Rosemarie Zartmen, Clinical Associate Professor of Comprehensive Dentistry and Interim Director of Student Development, Bridge to Dentistry<\/a> programs encourage students to use their skills within disadvantaged communities.<\/p>\n \u201cWe encourage all of them to succeed in the programs and eventually \u2018give back\u2019 in service,\u201d she said. \u201cThese two doctors are now coming full circle and represent the success stories that we are able to be connected to every year.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite her success now, Duffie\u2019s dental journey was far from linear according to the press release. Even after graduating from SPEP, participating in a dental assistant program at Townview TAG<\/a>, getting her bachelor\u2019s in biology from Texas Woman\u2019s University<\/a> and graduating from A&M Dentistry Collegiate programs led by Dr. Ernestine Lacy<\/a>, she still was not granted admission.<\/p>\n However, she took the open slot within A&M\u2019s Bridge to Dentistry Post-Baccalaureate Program<\/a> in conjunction with UT Dallas<\/a>. After completion, Duffie finally joined the class of 2026 at the College of Dentistry.<\/p>\n \u201cBy working with Dr. Miller McElroy and I, and hearing about our journeys, the students in this year\u2019s SPEP can look at us and know that they will succeed and make it into dental school,\u201d Duffie said. \u201cThere is no pressure to fit into anyone else\u2019s timeline and our journeys toward dental school also serve as proof of that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The summer before her senior year at Garland High School, McElroy attended SPEP to grow her understanding of dentistry and learn about the admissions process. Urged by Dr. Jonathan Clemetson, A&M alum and Clinical Faculty in Comprehensive Dentistry, McElroy enrolled in UT Dallas, graduating with a bachelor\u2019s in healthcare studies.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe talked about work-life balance,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you\u2019re a dentist, you can still have time for family, have hobbies and enjoy your life while still being part of healthcare. Going into college, I knew I wanted to go into dentistry.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Throughout her time at UT Dallas, McElroy participated in A&M\u2019s Collegiate Dentistry programs, a massive commitment that was incredibly difficult to manage. To compensate for her struggles, she assisted an orthodontist in Plano, took another year of classes at SMU<\/a> and pursued ministry for a year before attending A&M.<\/p>\n
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