From Puerto Rico to the Navy to MUSC's College of Graduate Studies

Paul Dickson-Pesquera’s story is one of perseverance. A global financial crisis derailed his first attempt at college in Puerto Rico, but he found his way back on track – and then some. Almost two decades after that crisis, he’s graduating from the Medical University of South Carolina with an almost perfect grade point average and plans to attend dental school. Along the way, he’s earned the respect of peers and professors.

That includes Laura Kasman, Ph.D., director of the Master of Science in Medical Sciences program in the College of Graduate Studies, which Dickson-Pesquera just completed. It gives students like him who want to go to dental or medical school the experience and expertise to achieve those goals.

 

“I was so inspired by Paul's courage to essentially start over when it came to preparing for dental school. It is so hard to go back to school when you have been in the workforce for years, both because of what you have to sacrifice to do that, and it could be a bit isolating since your classmates are at a different stage of life. But I could see that Paul was all in,” Kasman said.

All in, and seasoned with the experiences that brought him to this point. It wasn’t always an easy journey. Dickson-Pesquera traces its start to a pivotal time in recent history: the global financial crisis of about 20 years ago, a period that caused the unemployment rate to almost double in three years.

“I started college in Puerto Rico. But then the 2008 economic crisis happened and eventually affected my family. My dad was laid off from where he was working. And that just brought on a cascade of things. So I lost my focus.”

Dickson-Pesquera found it again by joining the U.S. Navy. “I was a nuclear reactor operator in a submarine, which is pretty cool,” he remembered. “And after that, I came to South Carolina as an instructor to teach the new guys how to do the job itself. And that's when I decided to get back into my original dream, which was to become a dentist.”

 

So while he was serving in the Navy, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Arizona State University, where he was among the highest-achieving students in his program. That set him up for the next step: the Master of Science in Medical Sciences program at MUSC.

He described some of what his education there included. “We took biochemistry, anatomy, histology.” Histology refers to the branch of anatomy focusing on the structure of tissues visible through a microscope.

“We also took immunology and microbiology and then some other professional courses that helped us develop our applications or got more shadowing hours or got involved in other things like grand rounds.” In grand rounds, students, health care providers and other experts gather to discuss patient cases.

Kasman said when it came to class time, Dickson-Pesquera could be found in the front row, listening closely. But that’s not all she observed. “Paul is compassionate. He was a student representative on our admissions committee this year, and he was the one most likely to vote ‘accept.’”

Now, he’s ready for dental school, with a wife and daughter and the hope of becoming a dentist in the Navy. “All the things I've been through have given me the maturity to know what I want to do.”

 

He also had some words of advice for others considering a professional change. “I want people to know, like, you know, it doesn't matter how old you are, because I'm obviously older than most of the applicants going into dental school or medical school,” Dickson Pesquera, 34, said.

“If you want to do something, just go for it. There's no age-limiting factor to follow your dream. After being in the military and all that, I learned that if you're not doing what you like, you're not going to be happy. So just follow what you really want to do in life. Doesn't matter what age.”