LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 9, 2005) -- Hanling Joswick is not your typical dental school student. While raising three children, Amanda, 13; Ariella, 9; and Jeremiah, 6; with her husband, Jim, who serves as an officer in the United States Army, she has pursued a dental degree with the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. Now she’s off to serve the United States Air Force.
Since childhood, she’s had a long standing interest in dentistry. She says that her dentist sparked her interest in dentistry.
“I had a great dentist as a kid, and he made dental visits fun,” she said. “He encouraged me to pursue dentistry.”
Majoring in biology as an undergraduate in preparation for dental school, she decided to put off dental school for a bit, got married and started a family.
“After having children I really had no desire to continue on in school,” she said. “I just wanted to be home with my kids.”
However, in 2000, her husband decided he was ready for a career change and suggested that she pursue her dream of becoming a dentist.
“After much discussion and prayer, my husband and I decided that I should apply to UK, and here I am,” she said.
Joswick said she enjoys interacting with patients, getting to know them, and having the opportunity to have a positive impact on their lives. She’s always enjoyed working with her hands, sewing and doing crafts, so a profession requiring hand skills is an easy and enjoyable task for Joswick.
“The process of treatment planning, carrying out treatment, and seeing the final restoration of complex cases has been very rewarding,” she said.
She credits her success in dental school to her husband.
“Jim is the reason that I have been able to do well in dental school,” she said. “He has been supportive of me and has managed our home so that when I get there, we can all enjoy the time we have together.”
Joswick said she and her husband, a minister at their church, hope to one day serve together in dental missions, ministering to people by meeting their spiritual as well as physical needs.
Joswick says her kids have been supportive as well.
“They all pitch in and help get things done at home,” she said. “It has truly been a team effort.”
Joswick says her husband’s military career has been a positive experience for her family. He is currently an ROTC instructor at Kentucky State University and has also been involved with some of UK’s ROTC training exercises. He was recently selected to serve in the United States Army Chaplaincy and will begin training for his new position this summer.
“Being an officer in the United States Army has given him the opportunity to serve our nation while supporting our family,” she said. “It has given us a greater appreciation for the time we have together through the experience of being separated during times of training and deployment. We always try to make the most of free time that we all have together.”
Home-schooling their children is important to the Joswicks. During dental school, his reserve position gave Jim the freedom to work, but also to be at home during the week to home-school their children.
Joswick says being married and having three children, the financial burden of dental school was something that hindered her decision to go to dental school. However, the Health Professions Scholarship Program through the U.S. Air Force offered her a way to complete dental school debt-free, opportunities for further education, and the opportunity to serve American servicemen and women as well as her country.
She says the biggest affect of her career in the Air Force will be moving. In July, she and her family will move to Washington, D.C.
“We have been in Frankfort for six years – the longest we've lived anywhere,” Joswick said. “It has become home for us. Our children have made a lot of friends here, and it will be difficult for them to leave. However, we are all looking forward to experiencing our nation's capitol. We plan to see and do as much as we can during the year we will live there.”
While serving in the Air Force, Joswick says she looks forward to pursuing an advance education in general dentistry next year. She hopes to continue to learn and to develop her skills in all aspects of dentistry.
“I hope to make the most of the experience, and I hope it will allow my family and me the opportunity to see and experience new places.”
In her limited spare time, Joswick says she enjoys spending time with her family. During winter months, they enjoy watching movies and playing board games and card games. When the weather is nicer, they go camping and hiking. Last year her family bought a canoe and they have enjoyed getting out on the water. When she does get some time to herself, she enjoys reading, playing the piano, creating scrapbooks, and doing crafts.
|
