Blog 2 - Summer Mentorship

1. List the contact name, phone number, and organization of the person with whom you volunteered.
• Dr. Chris Chen & Julia Gaytan 
• (626) 854-9530
• Puente Hills Dental Group
2. What qualifies this person as an expert in your topic of choice?
• Dr. Chris Chen has achieved a doctorate degree at Columbia University School of Dental Medicine in New York. Dr. Chen furthered his career in dentistry at the Center of Esthetic Dentistry. He is also an active participant in the community as members of both San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles Dental Societies. He has volunteered his services at local health fairs in Los Angeles and loves traveling with the NATMA (National America Taiwanese Medical Association) every summer to service those in need in other countries. 
3. List three questions for further exploration now that you've completed your summer hours?
1. What is the best way for a dentist office to help make patients feel comfortable and at ease?
2. Do patients find that the cosmetic look of teeth is just as important as dental hygiene?
3. Why is it so important for a dentist to stay up to date on current medical research and advancements? 
4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
• The most important thing I gained from this experience is a new understanding of what it's like to not be the one in the dentist chair. In other words, I got a better understanding of how things work behind the desk and from the dentist's and dental assistant's point of view. I was able to see what happens when the dental team preps for a patient, how they communicate with each other, and how the patients personal information is handled and filed.
5. What is your senior project topic going to be? How did mentorship help you make your decision? Please explain. 
• My senior project topic is going to be on Dentistry. From seeing how things work at the reception desk to watching how a dentist treats the various patients, I plan to focus on the basic ins and outs of the dentist experience. Mentorship helped me make my decision because it helped me to realize that from the moment you walk into a dentist office everybody working plays an important role in the experience of caring for a patient and making them feel comfortable.