Professional Materials | Maeg Sauers's ePortfolio

Professional Materials: What the following documents are

The following documents represent my journey to getting into dental school, both how and why I have done what I've done. In my personal statement, I explain why I want to become a dentist, and give examples of what in my life has inspired me to become a dentist. My curriculum vitae outlines what steps I've taken in my career to make me a good candidate for dental school, and highlights experiences that have helped prepare me to become a dentist. I have gone through many iterations of both materials, consulting peers and the IUI Pre-Professional and Career Preparation Office (PREPs) to polish the final products. For example, in the first draft of my personal statement, I talked too much about what would make me a good dentist, but didn't really expand on why I wanted to be one in the first place. I also fell into the pitfall of saying dentistry was my "calling", and, after consulting with PREPs, then learned of the negative connotation that can have. These final documents have been organized and designed to represent my professionalism and to supplement dental school interviews.

Personal Statement for Dental School

As a child, I loved going to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. Walking into the office, being greeted with beaming smiles, the fresh smell of mint in the air, and leaving with squeaky clean teeth made me feel light. When I got my first cavity at age seven, I was scared. I can remember the whirring of the drill and the stab of the needle into my jaw, a sharp and aching feeling permeating the lower part of my head. But I didn’t cry, because I knew what was happening. Prior to the beginning of the procedure, I had asked my dentist to talk me through what was happening – what the machines did, the material they were using to fill my tooth, how long I was going to be numb for—to help calm me down. After the cavity was filled, I was amazed at the relief I felt. When I ate, I didn’t get sharp shocks that seemed to travel across my entire body. Drinking water didn’t hurt anymore. With a quick thirty-minute procedure, my quality of life was improved drastically. The first time I knew I wanted to become a dentist was at another appointment of mine. I was sitting in the chair, waiting for the hygienist to come in, when I overheard my dentist talking to a patient. I had seen the man come in earlier, close-lipped and tired looking. When he spoke to the receptionist, he avoided showing his teeth—even going as far as to cover his mouth with his hand. Talking to the dentist, I heard him express feelings of not only debilitating physical pain, but emotional distress as well. He felt embarrassed about his mouth and didn’t feel comfortable smiling or talking. By that point my hygienist walked into the room, and I had my regular cleaning. My appointment ended, and I waited in the lobby for the rest of my family to get their cleanings done. About thirty minutes later, the man walked out of the office, crying and thanking the dentist profusely. After coming up with a plan of care, the dentist found a way to improve this man’s self-esteem and relieve his immense pain. That was the first day I wanted to become a dentist, so I could help others the way I saw my dentist help that patient. All health professions have a main goal of helping people through their hardest times. I currently work in team-based specialty clinics designed to help people with chronic pain and substance use disorders, and for a while, wondered if I should become a family medicine physician. Our clinics have family medicine, chaplaincy, nursing, social work, dentistry, and physical therapy, which allowed me to shadow many different professions and get an idea of what they do. I admired the family medicine residents and attending physicians and could see myself pursuing a career in that field. I really enjoyed working with patients with substance use disorders and chronic pain and found great fulfillment from helping coordinate their care. However, I quickly changed my mind after my first time shadowing a general dentist. Something simply clicked in my brain and told me this was what I was meant to do. Watching the dentist’s precision and the strong relationships he built with his patients excited me, I could picture myself in his place. I remember going home and gushing to anyone who would listen to me about the experience and then looking up everything I had seen that day to learn more. Now, when I am working in the clinic, I take those experiences and file them away for future application to dentistry, like opioid prescription guidelines and interprofessional collaboration. Naturally, I am fastidious by nature and try to make things perfect when possible. I am also very empathetic, typically becoming the “mom” friend of a group, and acting as mediator when there are disagreements. My attention to detail, communication skills, empathy, and manual dexterity inspired me to pursue dentistry, where I can use these strengths to help others in a meaningful way. I feel that dentistry will fulfill me from a social and emotional standpoint. I will be able to learn more about the people in my community, and form solid relationships grounded in trust – aspects that are important to me in a career. I want to feel like I make a difference in people’s lives, and with my skill sets I believe I can best achieve that by becoming a dentist. I want to be the kind of dentist who not only eases pain but brings joy back to smiling. With every experience I’ve had, I’m more certain this is the role where I can make the most meaningful impact.

Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION

Indiana University Indianapolis

School of Science, Honors College

Bachelor of Science in Biology, Minor in Chemistry

May 2026

Indianapolis, IN

WORK EXPERIENCE

Rochford Orthodontics

Orthodontist Assistant

May 2026 - Present

Assist the orthodontist with clinical procedures, including bonding and debonding braces and Invisalign treatment
Obtain digital scans, photographs, and CBCT images for diagnosis and treatment planning
Fabricate retainers and manage laboratory cases and appliance orders
Educate patients on orthodontic appliances, oral hygiene, and treatment expectations
Observe treatment planning and gain exposure to orthodontic biomechanics, tooth movement, and airway considerations

Jersey Mike’s Subs, Indianapolis, IN

Shift Lead

March 2021 – Present

Coordinate with other team members to run an efficient store
Lead an effective shift resulting in higher team productivity and greater customer satisfaction
Train new employees on multiple positions to help orient to role

Indiana University Interprofessional Practice and Education Center, Indianapolis, IN

Clinical Coordinator for Team Based Care

May 2024 – May 2026

Coordinated and led specialized team-based care clinics designed to improve patient outcomes

Collaborated with a team to develop an interprofessional core curriculum

Connected learners from different professions to enhance collaborative learning

Conducted research to improve interprofessional practice and education

Study Premise: to educate and train as many personnel as possible in a team-based care approach to increase collaboration during patient visits.

Peer Led Team Learning, Indianapolis, IN

Recitation Leader

January 2023 – May 2026

Guided students in chemistry to increase understanding

Facilitated the increase of student’s self confidence

Communicated effectively with students and create professional interpersonal relationships

Life Health Sciences Internship, Indianapolis, IN

Intern

August 2023 – May 2024

Collected data for chronic pain clinic to increase the quality of patient care

Collaborated with healthcare professionals to run an efficient and effective clinic

Led discussion on chronic pain and how to better improve care in the future with team members

HONORS & AWARDS

Dean’s Honor List (achieved GPA ≥ 3.5)
- December 2022 – May 2026
Science Scholars List (achieved GPA ≥ 3.75)
- December 2022 – May 2026

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

Overdose Lifeline, Indianapolis, IN

January 2025 – Current

Package lifesaving opioid overdose reversal kits to be distributed to communities around Indiana

(4 hours/month)

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Incorporated, Indianapolis, IN

March 2024 – Current

Travel to local areas in the community to restore native landscapes, build green spaces, and pick up litter

(3 events/yr)

PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

National Conferences

Newton, AD, Mathis, J, Buchanan, A, Burba, J, Miller, J, Maragoni, K, Sauers, M, Amudapakula, R, Friona, J. Breaking the Cycle

of Addiction: A Collaborative Recovery Experience between an IPE Center and AHEC. 2025 National AHEC Organization Biennial Conference, Lexington, KY. June 18, 2025 [Oral Presentation]

International Conferences

Newton, AD, Hunter, S, Hite, D, Sauers, M, Cabrera, H, & Dellinger, C. Leveraging Patient Trust and Psychological Safety in an

Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Clinic –Buprenorphine Clinic. Collaborating Across Borders IX, Omaha, NE. June 2, 2025 [Mini-Workshop]

Newton, AD, Buchanan, A, Burba, J, Sauers, M, Miller, J, Maragoni, K, Friona, J, Mathis, J. Filling a Gap: Interprofessional

Education and Interagency Partnerships with Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Educate Learners about Substance Use Disorder. Collaborating Across Borders IX, Omaha, NE. May 30, 2025 [Mini-Workshop]

Newton, AD, Hite, D, Cabrera, H, Dellinger, C, Hunter, S, & Sauers, M. How a Chaplain, Psychological Safety, and Team

Dynamics Create Trust in Team-based Care Clinics. NEXUS Summit 2024 (Virtual). September 27, 2024 [Symposium]

Newton, April D., Seth Hunter, Dustin Hite, and Maeg Sauers. “Leveraging the Role of Chaplaincy to Enhance Care for

Patients With Opioid Use Disorder.” Annals of Family Medicine, March 23, 2026. www.annfammed.org.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Jagathon – Dance Marathon for Riley Hospital for Children
- February 2025 – March 2026
Alpha Lambda Delta/Phi Eta Sigma Honors Societies
- March 2023 – May 2026

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