From Hawai’i to Arizona, student finds ideal environment for dental education at ATSU-ASDOH

From Hawai'i to Arizona, student finds ideal environment for dental education at ATSU-ASDOH

Some people cross the country to go to dental school. A.T. Still University-Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health's (ATSU-ASDOH) AnnEstelle Montalbano, D1, crossed an ocean - at least most of it.

Montalbano is from Ewa Beach, Hawai'i. She holds associate's and bachelor's degrees in biology, and sought a dental school that supported her desire to serve the community. She found that in ATSU-ASDOH.

"It is really important to me to be in a place that cultivates opportunities to get involved with various underserved communities. I fell in love with the passion of the faculty who conducted my interview, the ambassadors, and all involved in my interview process," she said.

"I like that the whole school feels like it's geared towards my success as a student and a future professional. I love being in the clinic so early. I didn't get the chance to (dental) assist before this, so being able to interact with patients so early on and learning from the D3s and D4s has been very rewarding."

Montalbano is active as a student, serving with Students United with America's Toothfairy and the Special Care Dentistry Association. She also serves as an ATSU student ambassador.

"I wanted to make sure all prospective students understand just how special this school is. I love getting the chance to talk about my passion and encourage them through a very tough decision. I really enjoy giving prospective students insight on how enjoyable student life can be and just how unique this program is," she said.

In her free time, Montalbano enjoys running, specifically training for marathons, biking, and soccer. She also enjoys cooking and creating content of her recipes to help others learn.

As for her future, Montalbano wants to make a difference in the availability of advanced oral healthcare.

"Eventually I would love to specialize as a prosthodontist and work in communities to change lives. I understand personally how much good and available healthcare can mean not only to a person, but also an entire community," she said. "I believe this school will help teach me the technical and personal skills to build my reputation as a dentist who works to serve. I also enjoy that this school gives me a unique perspective on exactly what underserved populations can look like so I can better assess where I will be needed."