While growing up in Minnesota, Ethan Brenna gradually discovered that there are three things in life he particularly enjoys: science, art and talking with people.
“Dentistry is the perfect blend of all those things,” says Brenna, who is now in his third year of the D.M.D. program at the UAB School of Dentistry. “It’s science that becomes art. And then you are always building connections with individuals.”
Brenna was first introduced to Birmingham as a kid, after his father moved to the city. During visits, he spent time talking about UAB with his stepmother, a School of Dentistry graduate and former orthodontics resident – experiences that helped shape his view of the university early on. Later, while studying biology and public health at the University of Minnesota, Brenna decided to pursue a career in dentistry, and UAB felt like a natural fit.
“I was exposed to Birmingham as a kid and fell in love with it as a second home,” Brenna says. “That’s what initially drew me to UAB, because I felt comfortable here.”
That comfort level only increased once he actually began taking classes. Brenna says the SOD faculty does a good job of making new students feel relaxed and confident about the looming work ahead.
“Coming into dental school, it’s a big task. You worry so much about everything that’s going on,” Brenna says. “The faculty here really helped us to integrate, especially into the preclinical lab. They ease your nerves about what you are doing, and that helps a lot.”
Brenna says he also feels more comfortable because of the smaller classroom setting within the UAB SOD. The University of Minnesota has a total student enrollment of nearly 57,000, and Brenna says as an undergrad it sometimes was difficult to receive individual instruction.
“But at UAB, dental school is very personal,” Brenna says. “I feel like what makes the UAB dental school so strong is the ability to create real relationships with faculty and classmates that will last forever. My stepmom even said that she left UAB with all these friends who are now professional colleagues. That’s one thing I value about dental school so far.”
Brenna is making as many connections as possible through his involvement with a variety of campus clubs and groups. Most notably, he was secretary of the UAB Student Research Group last year and is serving as president this year.
“I wanted to be involved in research at the dental school as soon as I could, because research is important in order to keep advancing dentistry,” Brenna says. “It’s always interesting to learn new things, write it out and then put together a presentation with other people.”
This interest in research has led Brenna and a few of his dental school colleagues to form a Digital Dentistry Club, with a focus on the latest technological advancements in the field.
“It’s a new wave of dentistry, using a lot of digitally applied technology to make the process of dental work easier,” Brenna says. “This expansion of technology and AI and intraoral cameras broadens what dentists can do in providing more efficient and quicker care.”
After graduation, Brenna says he hopes to continue his dental education through the SOD Orthodontics Residency Program. He initially was drawn toward orthodontics from conversations with his stepmother, then became further interested last year after attending a lecture by Department of Orthodontics Chair Chung H. Kau, B.D.S., M.Sc.D., M.B.A., Ph.D.
“He really got me interested in the realm of dental research,” Brenna says. “Through that, I’ve learned a lot more about orthodontics, and I’ve decided that’s what I want to go into. Maybe establish an orthodontics office here in Birmingham. I’m just trying to prepare myself to take care of people every day.”