Mission of whole person healthcare led Palm City, Florida student to choose ATSU-ASDOH
Posted: August 8, 2024
Matthaya “Tya” Charnvitayapong, D2, found her ideal dental school in A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH).
“I chose ATSU-ASDOH because I truly valued the school’s mission of whole person healthcare,” she said. “This really resonated with my values as a future dental professional, as I believe dentistry can be incredibly transformative for a person’s overall health and well-being. Having witnessed and experienced that transformation, I seek to do that for others so they can live a life they best see fit.”
Charnvitayapong is from Palm City, Florida, and has a bachelor’s in microbiology and cell science with a minor in sociology from the University of Florida.
At ATSU-ASDOH she serves as pre-dental co-chair for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and as webmaster for the American Dental Student Association (ASDA).
“I joined ADEA and ASDA because these organizations place much value on lifelong learning and growth, like myself,” Charnvitayapong said. “I wanted to provide more educational resources for dental and pre-dental students to help guide and support them along their dental journey.”
Charnvitayapong also serves as a student ambassador, having greatly appreciated the peace of mind, advice, and encouragement she received from the student ambassadors who helped her along the way to ATSU-ASDOH.
“I wanted to pay it forward for future students, welcoming them with that and more,” she said. “I thoroughly enjoy helping incoming students by giving them insight into our program’s curriculum, culture, and providing them with words of encouragement as the application process can be very stressful.”
ATSU-ASDOH’s culture stands out, Charnvitayapong said.
“I genuinely enjoy the support and remarkable connections I have made here at ATSU-ASDOH,” she said. “My mentors and classmates have all come from such unique backgrounds that have shaped them into the people they are today. It is such a wonderful experience learning from and working with each other to grow as people and professionals.
“Some examples of student life that I can detail are joining and participating in organizations that cater to your interests. If you are interested in a dental speciality, there is an organization for that specialty that can provide opportunities that you can dive into. If there isn’t, you can start one!”
The entire experience is preparing Charnvitayapong for a career serving patients in her community.
“I hope to become the compassionate, competent dentist that patients respect, love, and trust,” she said. “I believe ATSU is preparing me to become the clinician I aspire to be with a comprehensive, rigorous curriculum of evidence-based learning, clinical and simulation labs, and early clinical exposure. With all of this, I have become more confident in my critical thinking abilities and hand skills.”