Dental Therapy student showcases a day in her life

Phonsuda Chanthavisouk, MDT ’21, is a student ambassador for dental therapy students at the School of Dentistry. Earlier this week, she showed us what a day in her life looks like as a dental therapy student on our Instagram stories. Take a look at what she shared.

She started out by telling viewers a little bit about how she begins most days.

“Normally, I make sure I get in a workout, have breakfast, shower, and get ready for the day. Now, I drive to school, but when I lived closer on campus, I biked to school,” she said.

“That’s one aspect I really love about the School of Dentistry: it’s in the middle of the U of M campus, so there’s a lot of on-campus and off-campus housing, but the availability of different transportation methods like taking the bus, light rail, walking, and biking to school are available. Now, I drive, and then I take the light rail in to Moos.”

Chanthavisouk showed glimpses of her drive, light rail, and walk to Moos Tower, including a glimpse of the rec center, before entering into Moos and showing her locker space.

She spent her morning seeing a patient and practicing for her skills and competency assessment.

She then headed home for the afternoon, to focus on research. “As an MDT, our last year looks a lot different than the first and second,” she explained. “This year, if I’m not in clinic, I’m focusing on research for my master’s capstone.” She detailed her capstone work on oral health related quality of life, and her experience with the Academic Dental Career Fellowship Program. 

Finally, she shared why she engages in relaxation and exercise techniques like Yoga Flow to care for her mental, emotional, and physical health before sharing why she’s grateful for the School of Dentistry. 

See Chanthavisouk’s full takeover in our Instagram highlights.