Patterson White wants to be ready.
Ready for the patient who walks into his office in pain. Ready for the treatment decisions that need to be made. Ready to provide as much care as possible without sending someone elsewhere for help.
That goal has shaped many of the decisions White has made during his education, from the research he pursued as an undergraduate to the clinical experiences he has sought as a dental student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
"I want to be the most qualified that I can be, no matter what kind of treatment they need," White said.
As White's career goals took shape, he began looking for a dental school that would challenge him clinically and expose him to a broad range of patient needs.
"I chose UAB because of the strong clinical training and the chance to work with a wide variety of patients and procedures," White said. "I also wanted to learn in a busy academic setting with supportive faculty and high expectations."
As a fourth-year dental student, that clinical experience has become one of the most meaningful parts of his dental school journey.
"We get to triage patients and come up with treatment plans, and then perform those treatments with the close guidance and hands-on instruction from the faculty," White said. "A lot of those faculty have come from private practice, so they bring personal experience to the table."
In addition to caring for patients in the general clinic, White has spent time in specialty clinics throughout the school, broadening his understanding of treatment options and patient care.
"We have all the different specialty clinics under one roof, and we get to spend time there," White said. "So the education I'm getting is preparing me to be a very well-rounded dentist."
White said that experience is particularly valuable because it has prepared him to handle a wide range of situations in practice.
“If a patient comes in and their tooth hurts, and their option is either a root canal or an extraction, it’s a great opportunity that I’ve had a lot of hands-on experience with both,” White said. “That way I won’t have to say, ‘Well, I’m glad you made it 45 minutes to me, but now you have to travel another hour to find someone who can pull a tooth.’ So it’s important that the clinical aspect of the education I’m getting at UAB is very in-depth, hands-on and well-rounded.”
For White, that preparation is especially important because of the type of practice he hopes to build.
His interest in serving communities with limited access to dental care began while studying biological sciences at the University of Southern Mississippi. As an undergraduate, he researched the distribution of dentists across Alabama and was surprised by what he found.
"I knew there was a shortage across Alabama in general, but there definitely was a disparity across rural Alabama," White said. "I learned a lot about this disparity while working on my thesis, and became really interested in it."
That interest continued at UAB, where White helped establish a Rural Dentistry Club to connect students with service opportunities and discussions about practicing in underserved areas.
"I was looking for an opportunity to make a big impact in dentistry," White said. "And you can definitely make a big impact by going to a place that has no dentists."
Those experiences have reinforced his desire to pursue a career in general dentistry and eventually practice in a rural community. Before entering practice, however, White wants to continue his education through an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency program.
For him, the decision is simple: more training means being better prepared to care for future patients.
"That way I can treat my patients to the very best of my ability," White said.
That philosophy also shapes how White thinks about the support he has received during dental school. Scholarship funding has helped ease financial pressures and allowed him to focus on becoming the dentist he hopes to be.
"This scholarship has reduced financial stress and let me focus more on clinic and becoming a better student-doctor," White said. "It's also helped me take advantage of learning opportunities without as much concern about cost."
As graduation approaches, White remains focused on becoming the kind of dentist he set out to be.
And wherever his career takes him, he wants to be prepared for the patients who need him most.