Brianna Hodak, D.D.S.

What is your hometown?

I was born and raised in Spring Church, Pennsylvania.

Where did you earn your undergraduate degree?

I earned a B.S. in Biochemistry at WVU.

When did you know you wanted to pursue dentistry as a career?

I first wanted to become a dentist when I was three years old because I loved going to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. I became more interested in the idea in middle school when I learned about Operation Smile, a non-profit that does free cleft palate surgeries around the globe. The service aspect of dentistry always made me interested in the field. I also love dentistry because it is a hands-on, artistic approach to the scientific concepts that we learn.

Why do you feel this career is the right fit for you?

I know this career is the right fit for me because the days flew by when I was seeing patients and doing procedures on rural rotation. I also get emotionally invested in my patients, and it is very rewarding when I am able to get them out of pain or make them feel more confident when they smile.

Why did you choose WVU for your education?

I chose WVU for my undergraduate education because I knew I wanted to go to dental school here. While I was interested in programs like the rural rotation and Guatemala trip, I was also drawn to the school’s sense of service and focus on rural care. I also enjoyed the atmosphere at WVU and knew that I didn’t want to live in a big city.

What would you tell a prospective student about the program and your experience at the WVU School of Dentistry?

I would tell a prospective student that they will get a lot of clinical experiences in this program, and to take every opportunity they can. 

Who has had the biggest impact on your college experience?

Christie Zachary, from the Institute for Community and Rural Health, has had the biggest impact on my college experience. I have had the honor of working with her consistently in various programs since 2019, when I applied for Rural Undergraduate Shadowing in Healthcare and was chosen as the dental participant. After this experience, she encouraged me to participate in other programs the Institute had to offer, which gave me so many volunteer and leadership opportunities. Because of her encouragement, I became involved in the Rural Health Interest Group and Project REACH (Rural Education Alliance for Community Health). This led to me becoming an AHEC Scholar and a Nourish WV Fellow. I was also able to speak as a student panelist on Rural Health Day throughout my 4-year journey of dental school, which gave me confidence in public speaking. 

Christie has always been supportive of any idea for a project I had, including organizing a multi-disciplinary health fair from scratch. She was also there for me when I experienced some challenges that many rural providers end up facing. Christie believed in me so much that she nominated me for the WV Rural Health Association Rural Student Award, which was an experience I will never forget. I am very thankful for Christie, not only because she is an amazing human being, but because she introduced me to the family that is the Institute for Community and Rural Health, and they both helped give me every opportunity to cultivate my love for rural health.

Tell us about experiences during your time in the WVU School of Dentistry that you particularly enjoyed.

I really enjoyed my travel abroad experiences with the dental school. I was able to provide free dental care on a mission trip to Guatemala and participate in an implant experience in Bulgaria. I also really enjoyed my rural rotation experience, which I’ll discuss more in the next question.

I am thankful to have been able to form so many close friendships with my classmates.

Tell us about your rural rotation experience.

I did my rural rotation in Moorefield, WV, with Drs. Timothy Thorne and Aimee Keplinger. I was able to clearly see the need for dentists in this region of West Virginia. We saw an extraordinary number of patients in a day, many of whom traveled from many hours away. One of the assistants told me there is only one dentist in the next town over and one in another town, neither of which does extractions, so many are referred to Dr. Thorne. When I introduced myself as a dental student, I had several patients tell me that they need more dentists in the area. I received many hugs, several “God bless you,” and even been a part of an impromptu prayer circle.

Drs. Timothy Thorne and Aimee Keplinger were great mentors, and I would highly recommend them to any student. They were very encouraging with the goals I had set for myself over the course of the rotation, allowing me to try new procedures, answering my endless questions, and providing constructive feedback and real-life anecdotes. They knew it was important for me to learn surgical extractions and have more experience with endo, and they did their best to provide those opportunities for me. I was able to do three root canals and get experience with a surgical handpiece. Dr. Thorne does conscious sedations on Fridays taking out impacted wisdom teeth, and I was able to take out several impacted wisdom teeth, which was exciting!

What are you planning to do after graduation?

After graduation, I will be moving to Charleston, WV, where I will be working at WV Health Right on their Mobile Dental Unit!

As a soon-to-be graduate, what advice would you give to your freshman self?

I would tell myself not to compare myself to others and to focus on making my dental school education exactly what I want it to be.

Anything unique or interesting about yourself that others might not know?

Most people don’t know that my last name used to be Copper. My stepdad adopted me when I was 13, and my name changed to Hodak!

I’ve been to almost all 50 states.