With commencement approaching, ATSU-MOSDOH student is ready for new challenges
Posted: May 5, 2025
It may only be a short time before A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) student Kaitlyn Carpenter, D4, crosses a stage and graduates with her doctor of dental medicine degree, but the memory of her first moments on ATSU’s Kirksville, Missouri campus remain strong. It was those first moments that helped the Easley, South Carolina native decide this was the place to pursue her dental education.
“I was really drawn to how warm and welcoming everyone was during my interview. It immediately made me feel at home,” Carpenter said. “I also appreciated the opportunity to live and learn in different locations – Kirksville and St. Louis – two polar opposite places, which made it fun.
“What truly stood out, though, was the program’s strong reputation for clinical training. I knew I wanted to be part of a curriculum that would challenge and prepare me to serve patients from all backgrounds.”
Carpenter has a degree in health sciences from Fruman University and has made the most of her four years at ATSU-MOSDOH. She’s founded and served as president of the Special Care in Dentistry Club, is class of 2025 secretary for the Student Government Association, was president of the American Student Dental Association chapter, coordinator for ATSU-MOSDOH Interview Day, first-year representative for Cosmetics Club, member of Delta Sigma Delta, wellness chair of the American Student Dental Association chapter, and is presently a member of Gamma Phi Beta Honor Society and a student ambassador.
“What I enjoy most about being an ambassador is getting to help those who are on the pre-dental track learn more about MOSDOH. Whether I’m giving tours, speaking on student panels, or connecting one-on-one with applicants, I love being able to share my MOSDOH journey with them,” she said. “It’s fun to see the impact of those interactions, especially when I hear later that something I said helped someone decide that ATSU-MOSDOH was the right fit for them.”
When she isn’t busy in clinic, Carpenter loves spending time with her family and friends, creating crafts with her Cricut machine, trying new restaurants around St. Louis, walking her dogs Daisy and Jax, and seeing what she can make using her sourdough starter.
On campus, she enjoys being part of a community where she’s made deep connections over the last four years.
“I have met some great people whom I know I will stay in contact with once I graduate. During my time in Kirksville, I loved participating in various intramurals and getting to know all the medical students. Then in St. Louis, the faculty and my classmates have been a great support system, helping me learn and grow as a dentist,” Carpenter said.
After graduation, Carpenter will head to Augusta University, Dental College of Georgia, where she matched in pediatrics.
“Since I am a National Health Service Corps Scholar, I hope to be able to give back to underserved kiddos by working in an Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) setting. ATSU has helped me prepare for this by allowing us to go on various rotations through FQHCs during our fourth year to learn more about dentistry in that setting,” she said. “I was also lucky with what clinical care unit I got put in during my clinical years, where they allowed me to see and gain exposure to various procedures on children that helped me know I was meant to be a pediatric dentist.”
