My name is Janet Miller. Growing up around cousins who were doctors and pharmacists, I have always had an interest in pursuing a health profession. I began my journey after high school by enrolling in Kingsborough Community College’s nursing program. After a few semesters I didn’t feel as fulfilled as I would have hope to have been by my career choice. So, it was time to re-think my future as a health professional. I needed to take a path I felt passionate about. A career that would excite me to come in to work every day. After thinking long and hard I came up with a question: what is the first thing someone notices when they meet someone? Their smile! After doing some research I began to realize how much there was to know about the health and proper care of this small yet significant detail of a person’s body.
After speaking with some friends, I discovered the dental hygiene program at the New York City College of Technology. It became clear that this was the path I wanted to take. While in the process of finishing up my pre-requisites, I decided that I should start giving myself some experience working with a dental professional. I secured a job with an oral surgeon as a secretary but quickly got the experience I was looking for as the doctor allowed me to assist with several patients. I was seeing firsthand cases that my future classmates would only read about. This was an incredible learning experience for me and a great gateway to begin my studies.
My first few semesters at New York City College of Technology really proved what an intense program dental hygiene can be. I didn’t care and nothing was going to stop me from entering this field. When we starting seeing patients I came across some of the more difficult cases. At the time it was very challenging but as I progressed through the program I realized that the more challenging a case was the more I was learning. The more I learned the more I was able to help and teach my patients. Being able to help and teach my patients is very addicting and the reason why I will work my hardest to continue in and succeed in this field.
