ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳

If you’ve run into Mack Powell in the hallways at ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ School of Dentistry, there’s a very good chance that you’ve heard him say, “I’m living the dream.” 

It’s a mantra that holds true in more ways than one. 

Powell lived and then fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a dentist when he graduated from the University on May 8, receiving his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. 

His positive motto poured into his life throughout his four years at UDM, but it extends into his life every day, as a dentist and elsewhere. 

“It just promotes a positive environment and that’s something that makes me happy,” Powell said. “One of the things is that as difficult as it can be, is to remind yourself, ‘This is why I’m here.’ 

“I’m living the dream, and I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do.” 

Powell’s interest in becoming a dentist took shape in elementary school, after watching “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The elf in that movie, Hermey, wanted nothing more than to practice dentistry. That dental fire was stoked by his parents and also through a couple of inspiring dentists he went to while growing up in Frankfort, Mich.  

“My parents did such a great job pushing me to where I am today,” he said. “They really pushed me, they knew I wanted to be a dentist. 

“I also had a couple of great dentists that I grew up with, I always had great experiences. They also sparked my interest and fed into it.” 

Now that he’s become a dentist, Powell’s already got the next step planned. He is set to join the U.S. Navy, heading to Parris Island, S.C. It’s part of the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) through the Navy. The program covered Powell’s tuition and insurance and provided a stipend throughout Dental school; in return, Powell owes them four years as a dentist.  

“It’s an amazing program,” he said. “I applied before I got to dental school and got accepted in the first semester. That was one of my biggest stressors getting into school, how I was going to pay for this, but as soon as I got in, I felt a huge weight coming off my shoulders.”  

Powell will be stationed at a marine recruiting depot in South Carolina, working on Marines and fellow military, as well as their spouses and dependents. 

“I think it’s going to give me a really good edge in the first four years to practice dentistry and work on my skills and not have to worry about the business aspect,” he said. “Once I finish that, I want to do private practice. I’d love to move back to Northern Michigan, Charlevoix or the Petoskey area. That’s the plan.”  

Powell loved every aspect of ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ Dental, from the research, rotations and exposure, to many different specialty programs and the close-knit community feel of the school.  

But what stood out the most was the people — from the students, staff, doctors and faculty to the patients that he worked with in his last two years at UDM. 

“Every person I’ve had a relationship with here has been amazing,” he said. “There has not been one time when I have doubted there would be somebody to help me out. The faculty are wonderful. I think the attitude here is unparallelled.  

“You don’t feel that competitive edge here, you feel more like a family.” 

That feeling started almost immediately for Powell, who after being waitlisted, was accepted into ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳ Dental just 10 days before the full class arrived. 

“My first couple of weeks here, I found a really good friend group. It was still kind of during COVID and not too many people were showing up to classes yet, as it was hybrid,” he said. “But our group of 6-10 people, we would always show up, every time. 

“And because of that, we formed this great reputation with the doctors. I formed such good relationships with the faculty in those first two years, and they’ve helped me apply for different specialty programs. The more you interact with faculty, the better outcome you’ll have.” 

Coming from a small Northern Michigan town, Powell especially loved being able to work with a diverse group of patients that exposed him to different people and cultures. 

“We have some of the nicest patients. They’re so sweet,” he said. “They always come in with a smile on their face and they’re ready for the next step. We have three hours for each patient, and that’s important because we are learning and we can show them what we’re learning. 

“Coming down here, everyone is from a different culture and it was so cool. It really opened my eyes and helped me understand where everyone comes from, I think that’s unbelievable. It makes me feel better, too, going into a private practice eventually and understanding different backgrounds or lifestyle choices.” 

Powell, who married his college sweetheart in the spring, remembers a pivotal conversation he had with her during a trying first semester of Dental school. 

It helped spring his ‘living the dream’ mantra. 

“My first semester was hard and stressful,” Powell said. “I was taking on debt before I got in the Navy program, and I was coming home every day to my now-wife and saying ‘This is so hard.’ She reminded me, ‘What did you come here for? You came here to be a dentist, to learn and be better and get that degree. So, what are you doing?’ 

“And I said, ‘I’m living the dream right now. This is it. I made it past the hardest part.’ … Remind yourself why you’re here, because that can have a big impact on those around you.”