Dental Dynamo: Kay Chung, D.D.S. '26
This summer, the UCLA School of Dentistry is profiling three Dental Dynamos who are making the most of their D.D.S. student experience! Representing the classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026, these Bruins are not only excelling in their formal training but are pursuing opportunities beyond Westwood to help position themselves as successful practitioners.
Up first is second-year dental student Kay Chung. Kay dove head-first into advocacy work as a D1, traveling with several UCLA peers to Sacramento to meet with legislators during the California Dental Association’s (CDA) Student Advocacy Day 2023 in February. That experience prompted Kay to pursue a position as UCLA's Class of 2026 student rep, while last May, her peers across California’s seven dental schools elected Kay as the statewide vice chair.
Kay is well known to dental students far beyond the Golden State. Since starting her @kaybchung TikTok account in March, she’s already built an audience of 72,000 followers, with one video showing an honest look at study habits amassing an incredible 6.5 million views and 1.3 million likes!
Never one to shy away from the camera, last fall Kay co-hosted a video – produced by the Section of Restorative Dentistry – in which the community was asked what makes the UCLA School of Dentistry special (watch it below).
Without further ado, let’s meet this D2 dynamo!
School of Dentistry: Please tell us a little about yourself, Kay…
Kay Chung: I’m originally from Orange County, Calif. I went to UC San Diego for my undergrad and majored in human biology with a minor in psychology. Before going to dental school, I took a gap year and worked as a fiscal assistant and an ortho assistant.
SOD: How did you choose UCLA School of Dentistry?
KC: When it came down to it, I was in between UCLA and UPenn. I chose UCLA for the price, and it is a great dental school as well. I have NO regrets!
SOD: How was your transition from undergrad to dental school?
KC: In undergrad, I was constantly working towards getting into dental school and thought once I got where I needed to be (here at UCLA Dental School), I could finally relax. This is unfortunately not true, and the work doesn't stop! It was weird to get back into the groove of studying after a gap year where I did not study at all. It was difficult in the beginning, but being around people who are passionate about dentistry and care about their education motivates me to do the same!
SOD: What is your favorite part of dental school?
KC: It would be the lab classes. I really enjoy the lab classes and think they are very applicable compared to the didactics. I feel for the first time in my life, I discovered something I am very passionate about. I also really appreciate the friends that I have made here. They have helped me a lot in the transition to dental school as well.
SOD: Have you started defining your post-D.D.S. goals, or are you still exploring opportunities in dentistry?
KC: I don’t think I would want to go to school again after dental school. I am interested in doing an AEGD [Advanced Education in General Dentistry] or GPR [General Practice Residency] for more experience but other than that I am not really interested in specializing. But I do want to become a really good dentist!
SOD: What prompted you to get involved with the California Dental Association, and run for an elected representative position?
KC: To be honest, I had originally heard that CDA pays for your travel expenses to cool dental conferences and that was what prompted me to become interested in the position. After talking to the current D3 rep [Jennifer Gutierrez], I applied. It is an amazing position. I feel my voice is heard and it makes a positive impact in the dental community.
SOD: As the CDA statewide student vice chair, what are some of the most important advocacy platforms for you and your peers?
KC: As CDA vice chair, I advocate for the current CDA student delegates and all California dental students. For instance, we advocated for more insurance transparency like disclosing ERISA (a private employer-sponsored plan) on insurance cards to streamline the process of dental billing. My personal favorite was to establish February as Children’s Dental Health Month in California! As dental students, we do see how influential a good oral hygiene regime is for young patients, and promoting this to state legislators was very cool! I also attend CDA staff meetings alongside the current CDA student chair, to update the organization on changes in the curriculum or clinic that may affect the future of the profession.
SOD: Switching gears, what inspired you to start posting videos on TikTok?
KC: I was inspired to start posting on TikTok during winter break. I was super bored and wanted to do something. I saw that a lot of the dental school representation on social media is romanticized, which is NOT a bad thing, but I wanted to show it isn’t like that all the time. I wanted to provide a more realistic and relatable perspective while showing the fun sides of dental school. My life motto is “Work hard, laugh hard, play hard!”
SOD: How do you conceptualize what content to post?
KC: Usually, if there is a fun lab day or something really funny happens, I will start recording. I have two or three designated friends who record me during the day and help me out. For ideas, sometimes I will be in bed and think of something funny I can post, but most of the time it's spontaneous!
SOD: What is the process behind your TikTok videos in terms of time, editing, and filming?
KC: I actually edit all my videos through the TikTok app. Something I try to stick by is I only post content I enjoy watching. I doubt others would enjoy my videos if I, the creator, do not like them myself! For my one-minute videos, it usually takes 30 mins to an hour to edit.
SOD: What TikToks are your personal favorite to make?
KC: My personal favorite TikToks to make are the “day in the life of a dental student.” I also enjoy creating all-nighter studying videos since it forces me to be productive. Since I have to record time-lapses of my studying on my phone, it stops me from using it!
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Meet two more Dental Dynamos:
Daniel Mishail, D.D.S. '24
Jay Patel, D.D.S. '25