By Sherry F. Pruitt

JONESBORO -- Three 1999 graduates of Jonesboro High School have reconnected at the University of Tennessee Memphis College of Dentistry. They expect to graduate in 2007 with doctor of dental surgery degrees.

Eric Wing, Matt Carlisle and Andy Orr realized at various stages in their lives that they wanted to work in dentistry.

Wing knew as a child that he wanted to become a dentist.

"I remember going to the dentist as a kid and thinking it would be really neat to do this," said, Wing, who earned a bachelor of arts degree in biology from the University of Mississippi at Oxford. "As I got older, I realized the flexibility and many benefits that dentistry offered as a profession and decided to pursue it."

Carlisle realized in junior high school the difference that he could make by becoming a dentist, he said.

"I guess I first became interested in dentistry when I got braces in the eighth grade and saw what a difference the dental field can make on people's lives," said Carlisle, who graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in biology from Arkansas State University.

However, Orr said that it was not until he worked with Dr. William Garrison and his staff that he was certain dentistry was the professional field, in which he wanted to pursue a career. Orr earned a bachelor of science degree in biology and graduated magna cum laude from Lyon College.

The trio credit some of the teachers at Jonesboro High School for encouragement in their studies.

"The teacher that stood out the most to me at JHS was Joy Trauth. I had her for biology mysophomore year and for physics my senior year. She was truly one of the best teachers I've ever had," Wing said. "Everyone always talked about how tough she was and how hard her classes were, but she was only trying to prepare us for college. You definitely learned biology and physics whether you wanted to or not."

Wing added that he was prepared for freshman biology at the University of Mississippi because Trauth had made it easier for him by establishing a strong foundation.

Both Carlisle and Orr said they were influenced by Ruth Patterson, a senior Advanced Placement English teacher at JHS in 1999.

Carlisle was also encouraged by Elbert Frazier, his junior trigonometry teacher. Orr added that biology teacher Karen Hart, chemistry teacher Glenda Holifield and Keith Salter, speech and drama teacher, were his most encouraging teachers.

Their Jonesboro High teachers helped prepare them for college, as well as the Memphis College of Dentistry. Dental school is a 4-year program, with the first two years spent mostly in the classroom taking didactic courses.

"This is to prepare you for part one of the National Board (exams), which you take after your second year," Wing said. "You also have many dental classes and pre-clinical labs during your first two years, which are to prepare you for the clinical aspect of dentistry."

After the dental students take their board exams, they work in clinics for the last two years of dental school.

The three are in their third year of dental school and have started seeing patients in a clinic at the dental school. They have recently completed a "white coat" ceremony marking a milestone within the program.

"The white coat ceremony is something the school does as a commencement to clinical practice. It occurs once we have successfully completed all of the pre-clinical requirements and also passed part one of the national boards," Wing said. "It marks the transition from working on plastic teeth and mannequins to working on real patients."

The three expect to graduate from dental school in May 2007.

Wing said his wife, Jamie, also is enrolled in the dental program. The couple plan to practice dentistry with her father following graduation.

Carlisle said he has not decided his post-graduation path, but will consider a residency in Jonesboro or another Arkansas city.

Orr said he is considering a specialty, such as pediatrics.

"However, I would also like to start my own practice somewhere in Arkansas," Orr said.

sherry@jonesborosun.com