Meet Kevin Phan
Kevin is a first-year Dental Medicine student on the Glendale, AZ campus. When he chose ³ûÄñÊÓƵ as his dental school of choice, it was initially because it was close to home… but now he’s discovered that ³ûÄñÊÓƵ feels like home too.
"The thing that makes ³ûÄñÊÓƵ unique is, well, everyone feels like family… Students and faculty promote collaboration and support over competition and negativity."
Belonging (AZ) at ³ûÄñÊÓƵ
³ûÄñÊÓƵ strives to be more than just a place to study. For many ³ûÄñÊÓƵ students, the University is a second home, filled with people as invested in their success as they are themselves. The collaborative and supportive atmosphere at ³ûÄñÊÓƵ helps students be their best selves.
Transcript
When family is what means the most to you, like first-year Dental Medicine student Kevin, it's important to pick a school that makes you feel like you're right at home. ³ûÄñÊÓƵ fosters a sense of community and belonging that allows these future healthcare professionals to thrive. Kevin, tell us more.
Thanks, Alex. What's up, guys? My dad was a dentist and I never thought that I would follow in his footsteps. In college, I was having a hard time finding a career that I was passionate about, but then I thought about my ultimate goals in life. I wanted to have a family. I wanted to be able to provide for that family, and I wanted to have the flexibility to spend time with them. I also wanted to interact with people and have variety in my work. Dentistry seemed to check all those boxes, so I changed my mind and decided to go for it.
I chose ³ûÄñÊÓƵ in Arizona because it's close to home. My family's only 45 minutes away, which has been super helpful for both me and my wife. We've also been able to build strong friendships with other students at ³ûÄñÊÓƵ. The thing that makes ³ûÄñÊÓƵ unique is, well, everyone feels like family. We've had several activities to help bring us together outside of school. My favorite one so far was a dodgeball tournament that we had between the first-year and second-year dental students.
As medical practitioners, we're taught to treat people, not symptoms. That ideology is incorporated from the very beginning in our own classroom. Students and faculty promote collaboration and support over competition and negativity. While I didn't really think that I'd be a dentist like my dad, I did always admire the relationships that he had with his patients. Being a student at ³ûÄñÊÓƵ has helped me develop similar interpersonal skills, and I found that the more time I spend here, the more I do enjoy being a dentist. And even though it's really busy, the best part is I still get time to spend with the people that matter most. That's my story. Take it away, Alex.
Family, community, and ³ûÄñÊÓƵ. Kevin, it sounds like these are one and the same for you. The caring environment fostered within the student community extends into their daily patient care. Thanks for your story, Kevin, and for being part of the ³ûÄñÊÓƵ family.