Cleary's Persistence Pays Off With Perfect Dental Internship

Written by Evan Alfano '21
- ECGulls.com Intern

BEVERLY, Mass. – For a while, senior Cailin Cleary (Massapequa, N.Y.) has known what field she has wanted to enter and, no, it isn't just the softball field. Cleary entered college confident that she wanted to dive into the medical field for a career. 

The big question was, what section? 

When thinking about where to apply for her first internship a simple thought came to mind. 

"I love working with people and I love teeth so why not put it together!" said Cleary. 

This led to her first internship where she worked at That Broadway Smile, a pediatric dentistry for children on the spectrum. 

There was one experience at That Broadway Smile which stood out solidifying Cleary's career path. 

A seven-year-old girl came in for a cleaning. She had moderate autism and sensory issues. She was very nervous and was crying during her car ride to the dentist.

"As I helped her mom and dad get her into the room, I quickly put a weighted blanket on her for a sense of comfort," said Cleary. "From my experiences in Best Buddies, I learned some autistic children do recover from a sensory assault when they recognize familiar objects. I put her favorite cartoon on the ceiling TV and sang her a song and it seemed to relax her."

The girl was now at ease and the doctor was able to complete the cleaning and the exam.

"Afterward, her parents pulled me aside in tears to thank me and the other assistants for making their daughter feel comfortable," said Cleary. "When I watched the girl leave with a smile on her face, I realized what a difference I could make, even as someone with no dental experience at all. 

Since then, Cleary has been spending this semester working as a dental assistant at Perfect Dental in Lynn, Massachusetts. It was not an easy process finding her internship, but her persistence paid off.

"I actually reached out to a bunch of different companies and this one woman is the manager of five different companies, so she got the same email five times," said Cleary

Seeing just how eager Cleary was, the manager reached out. Perfect Dental then gave her an opportunity and off she went.

Cleary has been able to learn many career competencies at Perfect Dental which will set her up for the future. She gets to welcome each patient and bring them in for their appointments and she also has been able to aid the doctors during procedures. 

These procedures include cleanings, composite fillings, extractions (which is her favorite),  root canals, porcelain crowns, and even orthodontic treatments. 

These sorts of experiences are just what Cleary needs to be as prepared as she can be for her first job post-Endicott. 

Additionally, this internship has been a big change for Cleary as she has been able to work with all different kinds of people from adults as well as children. These patients all have different backgrounds and stories. 

One story has stuck with Cleary. A woman who had suffered a gunshot wound came in for a full set of dentures. 

"Complete upper and lower dentures take about a month to complete and I was able to take her impressions, help with the wax bite block and the wax teeth try in," said Cleary. "When she came in for her final delivery of the dentures, she broke into tears when she looked in the mirror. She thanked us a thousand times and still stops by to say how much she loves them." 

When asked about the best advice she had ever received throughout her internship experience Clearly replied, "The best advice that was given to me was to always be the hardest worker in the room. In a dental office, you learn to trust the process. You can't always control how other people feel or how they react, but you can control what you do." 

She continued, "The only way you learn is by getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, and even when things were hard, I still proved to myself and others around me that my future lies in the dental field." 

Because of Endicott's internship program, Cleary has been able to complete multiple internships which have helped to build her resume and put her in front of her peers.

"Having three internships under my belt and also having a job as a dental assistant, it has helped put me at the top of the resume pile. It is one of the best things I could have done," explained Cleary.

Cleary has not been alone on her journey. One person she credits is her internship advisor Jamie Freedman. Cleary spoke to her many times over the summer when trying to get an internship for this fall, which became challenging with the Pandemic going on. Freedman assisted her in looking for different opportunities which ultimately paid off as she managed to get one by the skin of her teeth. 

"She pushed me in the right direction," said Cleary.

That wasn't the only person who has been a big help. Cleary is a four-year member of the softball program here at Endicott. She was a part of the first recruiting class for head coach Katie Bettencourt. When recruiting Cleary, Bettencourt knew immediately how special Cleary was.

"I thought right away how much of a genuine person she is. She has gone through some adversity through her college years. It could have been so easy for her to be negative, but she was always positive," said Bettencourt.

One quality that has also been evident since her first day has been Cleary's leadership.

"She is such a leader. She is not afraid to help out the younger ones and to show them the way. She is not afraid to speak up and people really respect her for that," said Bettencourt.

That hard work and fight is what makes Cleary who she is according to coach Bettencourt.

"The epitome of who she is is that she battles everyday."

Cleary's next goal is dental school, but with the tools she has discovered at Endicott, she will be ready for any battle that comes her way. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Photo Credit - David Le '10)