ATSU-MOSDOH student found welcoming environment upon first visit to Kirksville, Missouri
Posted: January 9, 2024
When Sophie Lower traveled from her home in Texarkana, Texas, to A.T. Still University’s Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) in Kirksville, Missouri, she wasn’t sure what to expect.
What she found was a place that felt like home, and the place she would pursue her dental education.
“When I came to interview at ATSU-MOSDOH, the faculty and staff were so welcoming that it immediately felt homey,” Lower said. “It was evident how compassionate the faculty was toward their students, and how strongly they wanted them to succeed.”
Lower, a second-year dental student, has a bachelor’s degree in health with a minor in biology from Texas A&M University. She refers to herself as a nontraditional student, because when she applied to dental school she didn’t have much of a background in dentistry.
“Since getting into school, I continue to learn new and cool things that make me excited for my future life as a dentist,” Lower said. “ATSU-MOSDOH has helped me find passion and fall in love with a field that will help me change so many people’s lives. In addition to this, I love that along the way I have been able to make so many unique relationships with so many of my faculty members. There are some professors that I have become so close with that it will make moving to St. Louis (for third- and fourth-year experiences at the St. Louis Dental Center) harder.”
Lower is involved with Delta Sigma Delta and the American Student Dental Association, in addition to serving as a student ambassador.
“I became a student ambassador because I remember that the most ‘relaxed’ part of my interview day was the lunch with the ambassadors,” she said. “I remember how stressful the application/interview time was in my life and I wanted the chance to help alleviate some of the stress from ATSU-MOSDOH’s applicants, if possible.”
Lower enjoys spending time with her friends outside of school, whether it’s a movie night or going out to dinner somewhere in Kirksville.
After graduation in a few years, she hopes to move back to Texas, practice dentistry, and possibly explore specializing.
“ATSU-MOSDOH is helping me achieve my dreams of becoming a well-rounded general dentist who has the ability to help thousands of patients,” Lower said.