Students who want to pursue a career in the dental field will now have a club on campus to represent them.
Biology junior Alyssa Lopez will host the first Pre-Dental Club meeting at 3 p.m. April 12 in Room 223 of the Science and Technology Building. The officer positions have still not been filled and are open to members.
“I wanted to start a Pre-Dental Club on campus to help others with the stressful undergraduate years before they start applying to dental school, as well as meeting and learning from others that have the same life goal as myself,” said Lopez, who wants to be a dentist specializing in pediatrics.
Although the Pre-Dental Club still does not have an adviser, it is working closely with psychology Lecturer Malin Lilley.
“The biggest challenge is gaining new members […] due to the fact that the targeted audience is such a specific group of people,” Lopez said.
But that does not stop Lopez or her fellow club members from sticking together and welcoming all students who are interested in a dental program.
Lopez plans to apply at UT Health San Antonio-School of Dentistry as well as dental programs in Houston and Dallas by 2021.
Right now the organization is classified as a special interest group, Lopez said. To become a registered student organization, the club must maintain at least 10 members per semester, acquire an adviser and set up a constitution and bylaws.
“The first step in starting a club is to meet with the office of student activities to get approval,” Lopez said. “Then you must fill out specific paperwork and forms, which then get approved.”
The student activities office is located on the first floor of CAB, suite 103. The Pre-Dental Club got its approval as a special interest group in early February.
The Pre-Dental Club will host monthly meetings to discuss topics such as studying for the Dental Admission Test (DAT), or applying to the various schools in Texas or out of state.
“It makes me so proud to know that I am the one bringing all these pre-dental students together,” said Lopez, who hopes to graduate in fall 2020. “I plan on leading as well as learning from all my members and hope that once we graduate, we will all be that much more prepared for dental school than when we first entered the club.”
