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Daniel Jameson, DMD
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Undergraduate: Loyola University Chicago
Dental School: Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Personal Interests: Spending time with my fiancé and cats, photography, hunting, fishing, cooking, hiking, golf
Why Arizona and U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: I’ve had ties to AZ since the early 2000’s; my father commuted frequently for work. I fell in love with the area over the years, and it is a welcome change of pace. I could tell through speaking to the residents and attendings while interviewing this program has a phenomenal culture with everyone having strong values. Every person was so welcoming and truly showed they were happy to be a part of this team. Hearing about the responsibilities and exposure each resident has demonstrated that this program clearly prepares surgeons well. From day one, I felt like I was trusted to make decisions and provide quality care, while knowing I have a support system at my disposal whenever I need it. On a weekly basis, you can expect patient exposure within the clinic, emergency department, trauma bay, inpatient rooms and operating room. Our resident team works so well together — I never feel isolated. I am learning at a pace I never thought possible, and I am so grateful for my time here thus far!
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Sydney Woods, DDS
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Undergraduate: Washington University in St. Louis
Dental School: University of Iowa College of Dentistry
Personal Interests: College volleyball, Nebraska Football, hiking with my dog, trying new restaurants around Phoenix
Why Arizona and U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: I loved University of Arizona's blend of excellent surgical experience, comradery between the residents and attendings, and promoting academic excellence. It's such an amazing opportunity to see trauma cases I thought I would only ever see in academic journals. Phoenix is a great place to work hard and learn a lot but also get sunshine all year round!
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Anthony Leon, DMD
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Undergraduate: Arizona State University
Dental School: Midwestern University
Personal Interests: Auto racing, deep sea fishing, and spending time with my wife and dogs
Why Arizona and U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: I chose U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix for a multitude of reasons. The program offers a wide scope of practice with high volume of trauma and opportunities to be involved in a variety of cases like orthognathic, dentoalveolar, and TMJ surgeries. Program culture is very important to me and during my externship I was able to see just how well the team worked together and supported each other. The attendings were experienced and knowledgeable and made for a great training environment with the residents. Along with great training Phoenix provides an abundance of activities including spring training, golfing, hiking, and even snowboarding if you go to Flagstaff. I look forward to being a part of the team and spending another year in sunny Phoenix.
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Jun Skyler Hong, DMD
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Undergraduate: Arizona State University
Dental School: University of New England College of Dental Medicine
Personal Interests: Golf, snowboarding, snow skiing, hiking, cooking, and long road trips.
Why Banner: I selected Banner's Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) program primarily because of the tightly knit camaraderie among its staff, residents, and attending physicians. During my externship, I immediately felt welcomed and valued as part of the team. What stood out most was the culture of support and collaboration, where asking questions was not only encouraged but met with genuine enthusiasm from all levels of staff, residents, and attendings. This environment fostered a sense of belonging and made me confident in my decision to pursue my training here. Furthermore, Arizona's captivating outdoor landscapes and renowned golf courses played a role in my decision-making process. The opportunity to live in such a picturesque setting with easy access to outdoor activities perfectly complemented my desire for a balanced lifestyle outside of work. These factors collectively reinforced my choice to join Banner's OMFS program and fueled my excitement for the journey ahead.
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Mo Alabdoulsalam, DDS
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Undergraduate: Dalhousie University, Canada
Dental School: Dalhousie University - Faculty of Dentistry, Canada
Personal Interests: Cycling, cooking, teaching, aviation, coffee
Why Arizona and U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: From the beginning, I felt a great sense of connection, collaboration, and positive team dynamic. Having a supportive culture not only makes for an excellent teaching environments, but also improves overall patient care. The broad-scope training with supportive staff made for an easy choice. Coming from the east coast of Canada, the location and warm weather is also quite the bonus.
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Justin Cerrito, DDS
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Undergraduate: North Carolina State University
Dental School: University of Maryland School of Dentistry
Personal Interests: Sports, cooking, spending time outdoors, traveling, finding new ways to beat the Arizona heat
Why Arizona and U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: One aspect that stood out to me was the blend of excellent surgical experience with a residency environment that encourages camaraderie and collaboration amongst residents and attendings. One part of our training that appeals to me is the high volume of trauma cases that we get to treat. They expose the residents to a wide variety of complex surgeries. All of that combined with year-round sunshine and warm temperatures makes for a great overall residency experience.
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Travis Pero, DDS
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Undergraduate: The University of Akron
Dental School: The Ohio State University College of Dentistry
Personal Interests: Dog-lover, Ohio State Buckeyes Football, cooking, restaurant hopping with friends, exploring nearby Arizona towns and parks.
Why Arizona and the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: Having spent a year as non-categorical intern in a heavy dentoalveolar program, I was excited by the opportunity to expand my surgical education with a fuller scope residency experience. I was lucky enough to find both in this program—major pathology cases, a high volume of trauma, TMJ, in office Botox, pre-prosthetic surgery, extractions, and complex implant cases. The part time faculty here are also a huge benefit, always willing to teach, inviting residents to join interesting cases, hosting journal clubs, etc... And the best part is, I honestly believe the best is yet to come at Banner University OMFS!
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PGY3
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Brief Bio
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Seongnoh Lee, DDS
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Undergraduate: University of Detroit Mercy
Dental School: University of Detroit Mercy
Personal Interests: Soccer, other outdoor activities
Why Arizona and U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: Coming from East Asia and living in the East coast for more than 10 years, I have always been in the east side. It was about time for me to explore the west. Too many places to explore in this small place we call Earth, yet life is too short. In my opinion, just like everything in life, residency is truly what you make of it. It doesn’t matter who you work with, there is always something to learn from. Even better when people around you are willing to teach. Arizona is the best place because we are all here for the same reason. Constant challenge to grow — not only as a surgeon, but also as a person. That is what I love about our program.
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Lauren A. Lill, DDS
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Undergraduate: UCLA
Dental School: UCLA School of Dentistry
Personal Interests: Outdoor activities like hiking and biking, reading books
Why Arizona and U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: I lovedCollege of Medicine – Phoenix during my interview because I felt like the residents and attendings were very friendly and easy to talk to. Now that I have been working here, I appreciate how the program genuinely cares about the wellbeing of its residents. We are very busy and work hard every day, but fellow residents, attendings and staff are always there to lend a helping hand if needed. Teamwork and a supportive environment are a strong emphasis here! I have gained so much experience in all aspects of OMFS, and I am truly thankful that I matched with this program.
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PGY4
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Brief Bio
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Tjiska E. Conrotto, DDS
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Undergraduate: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Dental School: New York University
Personal Interests: Anything that involves sunshine and being outdoors! Also cooking, listening to music, and going to the gym.
Why Arizona and U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: The most important factor for me when deciding on a residency program was the interpersonal relationships between the residents, a supportive culture and a strong team dynamic. You’ll be working hard in whatever residency program you match into, but you might as well have fun while you’re at it! We have fabulous residents and attendings, great weather, plus tons of experience on trauma call and in the OR. I’m constantly surprised at how happy I am here, and how much I look forward to coming into work the next day, even as an intern. I am incredibly grateful I matched at this program and wouldn’t change my experience here for the world.
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Jingqi (Kenny) Li, DDS
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Undergraduate: Peking University
Dental School: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Personal Interests: Hiking, swimming, traveling, visiting museums, as well as playing the piano and the oboe
Why Arizona and U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: I chose Arizona and the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix, Banner Health specifically, due to its collaborative team culture, broad surgical scope and exciting opportunities. I love the OMFS team at Banner because everyone shares the same vision and is dedicated to the mission, which creates a friendly environment where each team member is there for others. Both attendings and residents are extremely resourceful and forthcoming. Meanwhile, when talking about the OMFS field, I am enthusiastic about complicated procedures and state-of-art techniques, and here in Banner, I have the opportunity to see it on a daily basis. If one loves the challenge of coming in every day and working on some of the most complicated procedures, Banner is the top choice!
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