Last Updated on July 24, 2025 by Laura Turner
Alicia Spence, DDS, is a clinical assistant professor and director of recruitment and admissions for Texas A&M University College of Dentistry. She graciously shared some of her time with the Student Doctor Network to discuss her journey to dentistry and suggestions for applicants interested in Texas A&M.
About Admissions Expert Dr. Alicia Spence
Tell us about your position at your institution and your role (academically and with the program).
I have taught in all four years of our dental school curriculum, including in preclinical lab courses for first- and second-year dental students and in clinic with the third- and fourth-year dental students. I spend every summer teaching in our Bridge to Dentistry programs for predental students. I am passionate about these programs because I was once a participant. Additionally, I direct recruitment and admissions activities for our dental program, including interviews with all prospective students.
What attracted you to work with this program/institution?
I started my journey here at Texas A&M College of Dentistry as a student in the Summer Predental Enrichment Program for college students. My love for dentistry and for our school grew from there. I also participated in the Post-Baccalaureate Program, and I matriculated as a dental student in 2008. After graduation, I was an associate dentist for several years while also returning to my alma mater to teach part time. I found teaching to be very fulfilling because I could help both patients and students.
What else should we know about your professional journey? How does being a kinesiology major, post-bac program alumna, and starting a family while in dental school/training help you connect with prospective students?
My path was not conventional, and I think that gives me a great perspective in both interviewing and teaching. It reminds me that students have unique experiences and their own ways of learning.
What influences guide you in how you do your work?
I am so fortunate to have excellent mentors both inside and outside our school. Being involved in organized dentistry and attending conferences helps me stay connected to what is happening at dental schools across the country.
What do you wish people knew about you outside of your academic role?
I care deeply for my students. I make it a point to get to know them during the D1 year and to keep my door open for all students, especially when they need someone to talk to. Dental school is a difficult journey, and they all need someone to cheer them on.
What are the biggest challenges or problems facing higher education and training today? Where do you see higher education in ten years?
I see emerging technology as both a friend and a foe. Social media, AI, and even digital dentistry have both advantages and disadvantages. They make us more efficient and accessible, yet we still have to be competent, ethical, and professional. Training students to use these for the greater good will be a huge challenge.
About Texas A&M University College of Dentistry
Briefly describe any history that would be interesting to know.
Our dental school will be celebrating its 120th anniversary this October.
What advice do you have for potential applicants to persuade them to apply?
Dentistry is such a dynamic field. It affords opportunities that no other healthcare field can provide, especially for people who are altruistic, artistic, scholarly and tech-savvy. Dentistry attracts people with all sorts of interesting hobbies and talents, yet every one of them has that heart to serve.
Do you have specific advice on completing the TMDSAS application? Do you consider advanced standing/international dentists?
I encourage applicants to give us as much information as they can. Essays help us assess motivation and experiences that will help them navigate the dental school curriculum and patient care. Applicants should know that undergraduate coursework must be completed at an accredited U.S. institution, and 90% of our class is made up of Texas residents. We do not have a program specifically for advanced standing or internationally trained dentists.
Any advice on the TMDSAS personal characteristics essay (life experiences)? Do you ask similar questions in school-specific/secondary essays?
Tell us what motivates you and how you will contribute to the field of dentistry. You can use your experiences to tell your story, but don’t just talk about a single shadowing experience the whole time. Also, write it yourself!
Can you talk about your screening and interview processes?
We complete a whole file review. We look at everything a student has been doing during their undergraduate years and the time leading up to the application. We review academic factors along with leadership, dental shadowing, community service, and life experiences. After the screening process, prospective students are invited to our school for an in-person interview day. This day includes two 15-minute interviews, one with me and one with a rotating admissions committee member. It also includes a tour of the school and lunch with our student ambassadors. We finish with a dental student panel. We do not require a video submission or a personality test. We offer prospective student tour days in April and May, and our student organizations host Impressions Day each spring. This gives students a chance to visit the school, complete a lab activity, and engage in mock interviews.
How can applicants best articulate their specific mission fit with your program?
Having experience in a certain area and showing commitment to a particular cause goes a long way. Students who have shadowed in a public health clinic or rural area, or students who have gone on mission trips have a great perspective on what it means to help the underserved. Similarly, students who have an interest in a particular area of specialty or research and who have experience in those areas will make a good case for wanting to continue.
What research options are available to dental students/residents?
We have ample opportunities for research. Students in all four years (and even in the summer before matriculation) can pair up with faculty members and specialists to complete projects in their area of interest. I am involved in the Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program, which helps students gain experience in academic research.
What didactic and experiential opportunities (like IPPEs) make this program unique? Are there interprofessional opportunities?
Our students spend significant time treating patients in our campus clinic, in our specialty clinics, and in our associated community clinics.
D2 students take an ethical practice course in which small groups of healthcare students throughout the A&M University system work together on case studies. This gives them experience working with an interprofessional team and with faculty facilitators from multiple areas of our Health Science Center.
What mentoring exists for students, including after they finish the program? Are there any advantages for applying to a future professional program?
I serve as the program director for our Great Expectations Mentoring Program. Incoming students are divided into groups that include a faculty member, a local dentist mentor, and at least one dental student. The groups meet throughout the first year of dental school to offer guidance and advice to our new students. We are also adding in a new component to this program, called Great Transitions, which will assist fourth-year students in learning more about starting a dental practice, how to find an associateship, and providing networking opportunities.
Our dental students spend significant time in our specialty areas and with faculty and residents. This is invaluable when it comes to applying for a residency program and navigating the match process.
Does this program tie into other programs that promote health professional careers, such as AHEC? Affiliations with local military/veterans organizations? Connections with local/state dental associations?
Our students are well-connected to organized dentistry. Many participate in the American Student Dental Association and the American Dental Education Association, and we send students to national meetings for numerous other organizations. We encourage all students to join the Dallas County Dental Society.
Is there a postbac/master’s program at your school? Do you have a pre-matriculation program to help incoming dental students who may need additional confidence or support before starting dental school?
We do have both a Post-Baccalaureate Program for predental students and an Education for Healthcare Professionals Master’s Program for current dental students. We do not have a pre-matriculation program for incoming students.
What advice would you give prehealth advisors with potential applicants to your program but who are not as familiar with the nuances of applying to Texas A&M University College of Dentistry?
We complete a whole file review of all applications, looking for plenty of experience in dental shadowing, leadership, and community service. We like to see letters of recommendation from professors and dentists who know the applicants well enough to vouch for their motivations and work ethic. All the information that advisors and applicants need is on our website. We are also happy to talk with them individually because we know questions come up during the application process. Encourage your students to apply early!
There is a lot of discussion on the importance of diversity and inclusion in health education and training. How do you address community disparities when selecting a diverse participant cohort?
Our students come from all over Texas, and some come from out of state. They have varied life experiences, majors, and hobbies. All of them are academically motivated leaders who show us how they are making a difference in their own communities.
What can junior high/senior high students do to position their applications best for consideration?
We do have summer pre-dental programs for high school students at our dental school. It is never too early to start shadowing and figuring out what your career interests are.
What do you tell teachers and family members about the benefits of your program?
Our program really supports students. Our graduates are competent, caring, ethical dentists who will go out and serve their communities.
What additional support is available from professional networks or your university administration to promote the program and attract good candidates?
We have tutoring programs and a student success team to ensure that our students are excelling academically. We have a great mentoring program and an in-house counselor to keep our students motivated. We have two mother’s rooms and a pocket pantry to help students with their physical needs. We provide top-notch facilities and caring faculty to help students provide excellent clinical care.
Are you working on or do you have an early assurance admissions pathway with Texas colleges and universities? What should high school students know to prepare for eligibility?
We do not have an early acceptance program.
Student Services and Financial Aid
Can students get scholarships once they are enrolled in your program? What are the conditions of being considered for these scholarships?
We offer academic scholarships to incoming students. Students receive that information when they receive their offer letter.
Final Questions
Where do you want to be professionally in 10 years?
I hope to be right where I am now. I enjoy teaching, and I am thrilled to be directing our recruitment and admissions efforts. My multiple roles allow me to really get to know our students and help them during different phases of their dental school years.
Shout out/acknowledge anyone else who has helped run the admissions process much more smoothly.
The friendly voice you hear when you call our office is Ms. Janet Pledger. She guides students through the application process and remembers them forever.
Is there a question you wish I had asked you (and what would your answer be)?
What are you doing to support the mental health of your students? Well, I’m glad you asked. Another faculty member and I noticed that our students were more stressed than usual when we returned to the school post-pandemic. More of them were coming to us for mental health assistance and referrals than I had seen in all my years of teaching. We decided to create the Student Mental Health and Wellness Committee, and the effects have been wonderful. We have monthly Wellness Wednesdays that include stress-relieving activities, education and of course, food! We now have a full-time counselor on campus. Our students are engaging in yoga sessions, journaling, crochet classes, and the newly formed Music Society. Good things are happening for our students, and I am excited to see what our committee will do in the future.
Do you have a pet (or a few) at home?
We have a 4-year-old yellow lab named Sammy.
