John Park
MS, Biomedical Sciences, Dental Track, Class of 2019
"From what I read online,” he says, “Barry had a superb reputation for helping people get into dental school.” The BMS graduate student completed his degree in December of 2019 and now intends to pursue his studies in general dentistry. “
There was never a doubt in John Park’s mind that he wanted to pursue dentistry, which is why he sought a program that would make him a competitive applicant to his target dental schools. He researched several programs before applying to Barry’s. “From what I read online,” he says, “Barry had a superb reputation for helping people get into dental school.” The BMS graduate student completed his degree in December of 2019 and now intends to pursue his studies in general dentistry.
Park feels well prepared for the challenges he will meet in dental school, thanks to Barry’s dynamic curriculum and an abundance of academic and professional resources. Among his favorite courses was Oral Pathology. “While I found the class difficult at times, I also found it rewarding to learn about conditions I may encounter as a dentist,” he says. “The class served as a reminder for my passion for dentistry and what I have to look forward to in dental school.”
Outside the classroom, Park found academic support through study groups, open lab periods, and visits with his professors. He also practiced the time management skills he’s glad to have acquired prior to entering dental school. “I’m the type of person that wants to be involved and participate in activities,” he says. “But I also tend to spread myself too thin. Thankfully, I have overcome this by learning to better prioritize my time.” Park also took advantage of Barry’s visits from various dental schools, which he considers great opportunities for students to network and explore their future options.
His determination and positive attitude were instrumental to his success in the BMS program, which he viewed as his second chance to achieve his dream. “All of us in this program had our own personal reasons for not getting where we wanted to right away, whether it was lack of extracurricular activities, grades, or needing a good transition to professional school,” Park says. “Barry put those reasons aside and helped us focus on the present, on how we can build ourselves up to become more competitive for admission while preparing us to succeed in the future.”