Chrestene Fam ’12: Becoming a Dentist

by Rachel Voorhees

Ever since Chrestene Fam ’12 was in high school, she knew she wanted to be a dentist. When the time came to commit to a college, she looked no further than Adelphi’s joint degree program in dentistry.

Though hesitant about living away from her home in Staten Island, New York, Ms. Fam quickly felt welcomed into the Adelphi community.

“When I went to Adelphi, it just felt very comforting, homey and had everything I needed,” she said. “There are so many people there that do everything they can to help you, and you can’t find that in a lot of places.”

At the start of her Adelphi career in 2009, Ms. Fam dove right into her biology studies and explored every opportunity related to her field.

One activity was the Pre-Health Professions Club, where Ms. Fam served as vice president for one year. The club frequently brought in guest speakers from the medical field, so she was able to network with dentists from the surrounding area.

Through her involvement in the club, she landed a volunteer position at a local dental clinic during her last year at Adelphi.

“She has that strong interest in being helpful—and a strong work ethic,” said Robert Schwartz, director of the Office of Pre-Professional Advising and Fellowships.

Ms. Fam says her classroom experiences at Adelphi helped her as well. Not only did they prepare her for the Dental Admissions Test, but they also eased the transition into her first year of dental school at New York University College of Dentistry. By taking classes such as Tooth Structure and Dental Terminology, she gained the lab experience she needed for dental school.

“The biology department is amazing. The professors really care about what they do and know their stuff,” Ms. Fam said.

Ms. Fam also had the opportunity to explore her interests and other areas of study. Classes such as yoga, Arabic and sculpture helped her to branch out and find new hobbies.

“Adelphi really helped me find myself as a person, as well as my likes, dislikes and what I’d like to do with my life,” she said.

Now living in Manhattan and newly engaged, Ms. Fam is finishing her second year of dental school. Upon earning her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2016, she plans to practice general dentistry and hopes one day to volunteer overseas, providing dental services to people in need.

“Chrestene is so passionate about dentistry and truly wants to be a dentist. She wants to make sure that everyone has quality dental care,” said Hinda Barlaz, coordinator of Adelphi’s Learning Center.
Adelphi was the foundation Ms. Fam needed to get to dental school, and she is well on her way to the career she’s been working toward.

“Adelphi offered a great community that helped me to have the best college experience and figure out the path that I wanted to take.”