![\"\"](\"https:\/\/magazines.uthscsa.edu\/schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/12\/Salute2021_Footsteps_1.jpg\")
Dr. Tapangan busied herself applying to dental schools and was initially accepted by a school in North Texas. She bought a home, furnished it, and settled in when a call from her father opened a new path. He told her she was accepted to UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry and her mom asked, \u201cWhat do you want to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
She quickly considered the dentists she admired most and all were UT Health San Antonio alumni: Linda Burke, DDS, 1999 postdoctoral training; her beloved personal pediatric dentist, Stephanie Jackson, DDS Class of 1995, chief dental officer at Su Clinica Harlingen where she volunteered growing up; and B. Octavio Elizondo, DDS Class of 1998, a mentor back home whose practice is where she did most of her shadowing.<\/p>\n
Her choice was made\u2014she was selling her place and moving to San Antonio.<\/p>\n
Dental school was challenging she recalls, but surrounded by a strong faculty support system, she was able to excel.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. William Rose and Dr. Joseph Connor were incredible,\u201d she said. \u201cDr. Rose would stay late to make himself available and to this day consults with me on difficult cases, and Dr. Stephanie Jackson and Dr. Nasser Barghi were great mentors.\u201d<\/p>\n
William Rose, Jr., DDS, serves as general practice group 3 leader, the student clinical group Dr. Tapangan was assigned to in school. He considers her \u201ca superb example of the highest quality of young people who graduate from our school.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the beginning of her fourth year of dental school, she demonstrated the necessary desire and drive to be successful. She has continued her search for excellence in her practice as she provides the highest quality of care. She is a wonderful, caring person. I am honored to be able to call her my friend,\u201d Dr. Rose added.<\/p>\n
Well over two years since graduation, Dr. Tapangan has grown roots in San Antonio; \u201cwe actually broke ground,\u201d she shares about her home now under construction.<\/p>\n
She has embraced the holistic approach to dentistry that she was trained in and truly takes the time to learn about each patient who sits in her chair. Just ask her new patients who are greeted by name at the front desk, provided a full tour of the facility, and receive a thorough interview prior to their examination.<\/p>\n
Dr. Tapangan is an associate dentist at Sonterra Dental, a local practice formerly owned by one of her faculty mentors, E. Penn Jackson, DDS, and is steadily working toward partnership. Her business partner, Woods Woolwine, DDS, has reinforced the value of lifelong learning.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s why I get to practice the way I do. His mentorship\u2014in addition to extensive continuing education and advanced training in implant, esthetic, and comprehensive dentistry\u2014allows me to be able to provide high-quality dental care in a practice centered around patient relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Tapangan urges new graduates to invest in continuing education right out of dental school. \u201cWait to buy that car or take that vacation; keep living like a student,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re good in school because someone is helping you to be good. San Antonio has an excellent reputation for preparing dental students, but you truly need to keep learning!\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Tapangan and her fianc\u00e9, Aaron, a physical therapist, are joining forces to develop a curriculum aimed at educating dental professionals on preventing injuries typically experienced by dental providers. \u201cBy working together, I believe we can help dental providers minimize injuries so they can continue to provide the best oral care to their patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the School of Dentistry\u2019s reputation and proven ability to produce excellent dental care providers are what brought her to San Antonio, Dr. Tapangan said this is now her home. \u201cMy way to San Antonio may have seemed accidental, but I have no regrets,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kara Tapangan, DDS Class of 2019, decided to attend the School of Dentistry at UT Health San Antonio because her mentors are alumni. She fondly recalls the strong faculty support system that helped her to excel. Dr. Tapangan is an associate dentist in San Antonio and working toward partnership. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":2632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"magazine":[23],"issue-year":[47],"featured-story":[],"class_list":["post-2558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","magazine-salute","issue-year-47"],"yoast_head":"\n