October Spotlight: Jonina Oskarsdottir

Our October spotlight is PHSRC Teaching Assistant and Peer Advisor Jonina Oskarsdottir. 

Jonina is a senior majoring in Biology, Society and the Environment and minoring in Public Health. She has had her heart set on being a dentist since high school, and her ultimate goal is to specialize and become an Endodontist or Orthodontist. Keep reading to hear how Jonina became interested in dentistry, has found experiences in healthcare, and balances her many roles with her courses.  

You're a pre-dental student! How did you become interested in dentistry, and becoming an endodontist or orthodontist?  

I was introduced to the field of dentistry in high school! My first introduction was through a shadowing-based mentorship program through Children's Dental Care in Lakeville, MN. I quickly realized I wanted to pursue this profession once I saw dentists' tangible impact on their patients and their compassion for every child who came through their doors. The dentists would go out of their way to make connections with their patients, and the passion that they have for the field is something that keeps drawing me in.

Many kids have negative experiences at the dentist. Still, the providers I have had the opportunity to observe have been overwhelmingly kind and accommodating, something I strive to be one day. I also have always been interested in working with my hands, as I learned how to sew when I was six years old. It was a great bonus that I could combine my love for the arts and sciences into a career. I remember the day very well when I decided that I wanted to go after dentistry. I was beaming when I came home from a full day at the dental clinic. I enthusiastically told my mom that I had found what I wanted to do in the future. 

Since then, I have been involved in many experiences that only solidified my interest in the field, such as the UMN's Discover Dental School program, interning at Children’s Dental Services, and working at the Pre-Health Student Resource Center!! Ultimately, I want to specialize, but the decision of which specialty is one I will make in dental school. Orthodontics and endodontics stick out to me as possible fields I want to pursue, but pediatrics and public health are also strong contenders. 

Do you have any tips for finding experiences? Or, tips for balancing these roles along with your courses? 

My biggest advice for finding experience is to consider what you are passionate about and find an extracurricular that aligns with that interest. When you are choosing what you want to do and invest your time and energy into it, it being something you genuinely like, makes it so much easier and more enjoyable. For example, I am passionate about mental health and advocacy, so when I saw that Crisis Text Line was looking for volunteer counselors, I knew it would be something I wanted to do. Many pre-health students fall into the trap of doing extracurriculars that they believe a specific graduate program would "like" to see, but, more importantly, graduate programs want to know how the experience impacted you, what you have learned and gained from it, much more than the actual title of your experience. In terms of balancing various experiences, plan out your time well and go for quality over quantity. Choose what you want to pursue and be dedicated to that experience.

You also studied abroad with the National Student Exchange (NSE) program. Can you tell us about that experience? 

NSE has been my favorite undergraduate experience thus far. Being from Iceland and growing up in a country where it rains almost every day, I have always wanted to live in a tropical environment one day. Because of this, when I got an email telling me that I could study in Hawai'i, I knew I had to apply. The six-month trip was incredible, and it's tough to summarize. I spent a lot of time at the beach and in the ocean, going on hikes, trying new foods, and meeting new friends I will keep for the rest of my life. Some highlights included learning how to surf, running my first half marathon, going up to the North Shore every Sunday, swimming with sharks, going to neighboring islands, and learning more about Hawaiian culture. I was also very fortunate to take some classes that counted for my major and were dental-specific prerequisite classes while on my Exchange. I took Organic Chemistry 1, Anatomy and Physiology 2, Philosophy of Healthcare, Geography of Hawaii, and a Hawaiian Studies Class. I would highly recommend this experience to any pre-health student. I also feel like NSE was more accommodating to STEM majors than other study-abroad programs at the U and the NSE team made it easy to find a place that was an excellent fit for me. 

Is there anything else you'd like to share with pre-health students? 

Try your best not to compare yourself to other students. My mom always reminds me that comparison is the thief of joy and that your health path will not/should not look like anybody else's. You will have different academic achievements and experiences than anyone else, which is okay. It is tough, don't get me wrong, as it is something I still struggle with, especially in more challenging classes and when I see everyone get their dream internship/jobs/shadowing experiences, etc. but remember that you are uniquely you, and so is your journey to your health profession.

Thank you for sharing your stories and perspectives with PHSRC Pulse readers, Jonina!

For more resources on finding volunteer and paid clinical experiences in health, check out our Volunteering and Experience page.