This article was originally published in the January, February, and March 2024 edition of the Virginia Dental Journal.

Growing up in Reston, VA, repeated visits to an orthopedic surgeon in high school to repair a torn ACL led Annelise Goetz to consider a career in health care. However, it was a volunteer opportunity at a Remote Area Medical (RAM) event in Charleston, WVA, that pointed her on a path to dentistry.

“I was assigned to the dental clinic, and it was amazing to see the impact we had on so many people in just a few short days,” said Goetz, who was pursuing her undergraduate degree in biology at University of Virginia. “I volunteered for a couple more RAM clinics and started shadowing a local dentist in Charlottesville during the semester and another at a clinic back home during summer breaks.”

Instead of entering dental school at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Goetz took a gap year to gain additional experience. VCU School of Dentistry was always Goetz’s top choice for dental school, due its reputation for clinical training as well as the lower in-state tuition rate. However, even with in-state tuition, dental school is an expensive reality that every student must face.

When Goetz found out she was the 2023/2024 recipient of the Virginia Dental Association (VDA) Scholarship, she was extremely grateful.

“Loans are something that my classmates and I think about on a daily basis. They can seem impossible to pay off,” said Goetz. “I was honored to be chosen for this scholarship, and I’m very thankful for the VDA’s support. It gives a little more peace of mind knowing that some of that burden is off of my shoulders.”

The VDA established an endowed scholarship for students at VCU School of Dentistry in 2014 after becoming concerned about the exponential growth of dental student indebtedness. VDA Scholars are chosen from a pool of applicants who have expressed interest in practicing in Virginia and participating in organized dentistry.

Now, in her third year and transitioning to providing patient care in the school’s pre-doctoral clinic, Goetz appreciates the resources that VDA provides to help students grow their professional network and learn practice-management skills.

“I’m looking forward to the upcoming Dental Days at the Capitol events,” said Goetz. Each year, the VDA invites dental students to join their legislative reception and lobby day events. Recently, VCU School of Dentistry began incorporating participation in the VDA’s lobby day event as part of the Practice Management course, which is required for all third year students. “I think it will be a great opportunity to advocate for our profession and also meet and get advice from established dentists.”

Goetz is considering whether she wants to continue her education and gain additional experience in a specialty program or begin her professional career. However, she is fairly certain that she wants to eventually practice in Virginia close to where she grew up, and she plans to remain involved in organized dentistry.