Alumni Career Feature
Dr. Angela Lutz
We feature alumni with interesting careers from a variety of career areas. To find out more about the alumnus profession contact them via the e-mail provided. Or if you are interested in being featured, e-mail us at alumni@pct.edu.
Dr. Angela Lutz
- A.A.S., Dental Hygiene, 1993
- University of Pittsburgh Dental School - Pediatric Residency
- aslutz@comcast.net
How did you choose your present career? Please explain how you decided to major in your area of study during college.
I became interested in my career when I worked in a dental office the summer after my high school graduation. I began filing charts, answering phones and then progressed to being involved in the treatment setting. I decided on the hygiene field after observing the activities of a hygienist on a daily basis. After attending Penn College, I worked as a hygienist for a year and decided I wanted to further my education by attending dental school. Last year I completed a General Practice Residency and that is when I realized I wanted to specialize in Pediatrics. I am now in a two year pediatric program at the University of Pittsburgh. After graduation I would like to work in a private practice.
What advice do you have to offer to a student who is struggling with identification of a major/career field in college?
My advice would be to not rush into anything. Learn what you enjoy doing and give yourself time. Don’t go to school just to go to school. I have seen people who may have had a different job before going into dentistry. They tried a variety of careers or job fields until they found what they really liked to do. Some were older adults who made a major career shift.
How were you hired at your first position?
I come from a small town so I was able to talk to different dentists to see if they knew of anyone who was looking for a hygienist. I was fortunate to find someone who could accommodate my school schedule while I was taking courses to prepare myself for dental school. I entered dental school a year after graduating from Penn College.
What would you tell a Penn College graduating student about your career field?
It is rewarding, challenging, and exciting. Dental Hygiene is a wonderful profession for someone to enter into. There are many opportunities and the schedule is flexible. You have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings from general dentistry to periodontal offices.
What was the most significant thing you learned on the job during your first year?
Dentistry is not a career in which you are finished learning when your schooling is completed. Lessons are learned every day in the profession.
What was most difficult about your transition to the world of work?
With hygiene, scheduling was difficult. In school, you saw one or two patients per day. In the dental office, you saw four times as many patients in one day.
What was the greatest strength of your Penn College/Williamsport Area Community College education? (What did you learn at Penn College that helped you a great deal in your career?)
I think the state-of-the-art dental clinic is great. Many dental schools do not have some of the equipment that the Penn College labs have. The challenging courses and helpful faculty were also a plus.
What should students in your field do to prepare themselves for their career?
I would recommend spending time in a dental office observing before going into hygiene or dentistry. Students going into this field need to have a strong science background so take as many science courses in high school and college as possible.
What do you find the most enjoyable about your career field and your present position?
I enjoy the children and the interesting stories of their everyday lives as well as helping others. With my current position, I have the ability to take a child with debilitating dental health and restore them to function.
How do you see your field changing in the next 3-5 years? Will this change require you to obtain additional training?
My field is continuously changing. There is always new material and techniques available to improve dental care. The use of air abrasion and laser technology may increase. I will need to go to continuing education seminars and courses to learn about the new techniques. With the new materials, it makes the profession interesting and allows the patient to receive the best treatment available in this day and age.
What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
Once I complete my residency, I would like to become an associate and then eventually a partner in a private practice.
If you could redo your college experience, how/would you prepare differently to enter the workplace?
I really would not change anything. I worked at the front desk, then did dental assisting, and became a hygienist and finally a dentist. My jobs and course work were a natural progression within the field.
From your perspective, what are three to five needed skills that your employer was seeking in a new employee?
In the field of dental hygiene and pediatric dentistry, employees need to be personable, caring, and knowledgeable, enjoy working with children, and willing to work as a team player.
Have you received any special recognition or awards through your employment or professional organizations to which you belong?
I have received the following awards and honors: Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, The International College of Dentists award, American Association of Women Dental award, and the American Society of Dentistry for Children award.
