Thursday Talks: Maria Salib ’24
On Thursday Talks this round, we feature Maria Salib of the Class of 2024.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do at RSDM.
I’m Maria, and my family is originally from Egypt, but I was born and raised in East Brunswick, NJ. My father is also a dentist, and he completed the international program at New York University College of Dentistry. I am currently a D4 at Rutgers and am involved with many on-campus organizations such as the American Student Dental Association (ASDA), peds club, and tutoring the D1s and D2s in didactic as well as pre-clinic. As former president of ASDA, I worked very closely with the NJDA in coordinating many lunches and learns and events to spike interest in organized dentistry. I am also interested in pursuing pediatric residency and I have just matched with Temple University.
How long have you been here, and why did you decide to come to RSDM?
I have lived in East Brunswick, NJ, my entire life. My family and church are very important to me, so Rutgers was definitely my first choice. Besides the convenience in location, Rutgers’s reputation for the intense clinical experience made it the perfect choice for me! I was so confident in this decision that I applied to the 7-year accelerated program from high school and thankfully got accepted through the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
What do you like the most about RSDM?
What I like most about Rutgers are the experiences it has to offer. For example, every year Rutgers offers two outreach programs to its third-year students. The students can go to a school in La Romana, Dominican Republic, or a Native American Reservation in South Dakota. I was lucky enough to go to the Dominican Republic, and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had! My classmates and I were stationed at a local elementary school and worked in the dental clinic every day for a week treating children who needed dental care. We did everything for them including extractions, endodontics, and stainless-steel crowns. We were able to learn from many new doctors who joined us on the trip and formed amazing connections with them! I will definitely remember this trip, the experiences I had, and the friendships I made for the rest of my life.
hat do you enjoy doing outside the school?
Outside of school, I enjoy hanging out with my friends and family and playing all kinds of sports. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, you name it! I have recently been introduced to pickleball and have been obsessed with it! I generally just enjoy being active and being outside and around other people. Also, a big de-stressor for me during D1 and D2 was driving down to the beach and just walking along the shore. Nothing makes me feel more at peace! Moreover, I also spend time on the weekends at my church teaching Sunday School and hanging out with the children! I love forming relationships with the kids and hope to be able to bring that into my future career as a pediatric dentist.
