It’s a match!

Several students in Texas A&M School of Dentistry’s Class of 2023 have been accepted into postdoctoral programs around the country. They gathered between class and clinics for a celebratory photo Jan. 25. All are dedicated to their respective specialties and looking forward to the challenges ahead. A few of them shared their thoughts on the next chapter of their careers.

Jesus Ojeda, orthodontics, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio: “I’m excited about getting to specialize in what I know I want to do for the rest of my life, and I’m excited to be closer to home. My parents are in Laredo, Texas, down on the border, so I’ll be two hours away from them instead of seven or eight. My sister is graduating high school, and she wants to go to University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, so I’ll be close to her if she ever needs anything as a freshman in college.

“I know San Antonio has a large Spanish speaking demographic … I’m very close to that patient pool, being from Mexico myself, being an immigrant and being fluent in Spanish. I love helping those patients out, even here at the clinic when I have the chance, so it’s something very near and dear to me.

“I’m really grateful for this school. It gave me the tools and set me up for success at the next level and I can never be grateful enough to have been here.”

Leena Berriche, orthodontics, Saint Louis University: “Orthodontics is something I’m really passionate about. I was personally impacted by orthodontics. I had braces three times, and it was the specialty that called to me, made me feel beautiful and I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

Marzia Zendali, oral and maxillofacial surgery, U.S. Navy: “I’m excited about building on dentistry, learning about all the orthopaedic surgeries and having a better idea about implant surgeries and extractions of teeth.”

Lindsay Ozcelebi, general practice, Bellevue Hospital: “I’m really excited to explore Manhattan and New York City. That’s always just been a dream of mine to go up there, and I also just really like the curriculum. I’ll be placing, implants, too, and that’s always been something I wanted to do. It’s a great education and a really great location.”

Courtney Williams, periodontics, Texas A&M School of Dentistry: “I’m excited to get to do dentistry that matches my interest, start placing implants and getting to do more surgery.”