Resident Spotlight: Dr. Lindsey Yap

Compiled by Dr. Austyn Grissom

Dr. Lindsey Yap is a second-year resident at the University of Washington. The Paper Point‘s Dr. Austyn Grissom recently interviewed her to learn more about her journey to endo and life outside of endo.

The Paper Point: Thanks for taking time to do this interview, Lindsey! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Dr. Yap: I grew up in a suburb south of Seattle. I am the first person in my family to have a career in healthcare, so most of my early experience with medicine and dentistry was as a patient. As a child, I always enjoyed going to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned.  Fortunately, I only needed primary teeth fillings and several primary teeth extractions to prepare for orthodontics. This helped me realize the importance of hygiene at a young age. I also was able to experience the not so glamorous years of having braces and headgear. When applying to colleges, my initial interest was in engineering, because I enjoyed science in high school.  This is how I ended up choosing and attending Lehigh University for my undergraduate degree. I graduated from Lehigh in 2013 and completed dental school at Oregon Health & Science University in 2017.  I then practiced as an associate at a private clinic for a few years before starting residency in 2020.

The Paper Point: What sparked your interest to return to residency after practicing? Was it tough for you to enter back into the academic setting?

Dr. Yap: The thing that intrigued me most about specializing in endodontics is that it presents the challenges of intricacy and meticulous procedures, as well as the satisfaction of being able to relieve pain for patients. I had a great experience in dental school from some very memorable faculty that made endo fun. While in dental school, I enjoyed all aspects of endodontics including the lab course in the sim lab. There was a lot of emphasis by the faculty on being a good general dentist and having a significant amount of clinical experience prior to pursuing a residency program. This influenced my decision to work for a few years prior to applying. It also allowed me to realize how much I enjoyed and missed the academic environment after working full time.

The Paper Point: I can relate to that- I am so thankful for the short but valuable time that I got to spend working as a restorative dentist prior to residency. Do you have any fun plans following graduation?

Dr. Yap: I plan to take a few weeks of vacation to do some traveling with my husband for our honeymoon. We had our wedding October 2021 and due to international COVID travel restrictions we decided to postpone until after I completed the residency program.

The Paper Point: Awesome! What about professionally- what’s up next for you following residency?

Dr. Yap: My career plans following graduation in August 2022 involve a full-time tenure track faculty position with the University of Washington Endodontics Department starting this fall. I also plan to work one day a week as an associate endodontist in a private practice in the Seattle area.

The Paper Point: I love that! What made you decide to pursue academia right out of residency?

Dr. Yap: I have appreciated the mentorship I received as a dental student and resident that molded my desire to teach. Academia is not as glamorous as practice ownership or working full time as an endodontist. However, I enjoy all aspects of endodontics in which I find it fulfilling to help students and dentists improve the skills and understanding necessary to provide patients the best treatment possible. Luckily, the timing worked out and there was a need for an additional faculty member in the location that is close to my family and friends.

The Paper Point: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Dr. Yap: Aside from dental pursuits, I tend to embrace my Northwest roots in my free time. It was not until moving back to the area that I appreciated how much outdoor activity it has to offer. Some of my activities here include skiing, backpacking, whitewater rafting, mountain biking and climbing. The past few years I have also been a volunteer ski patroller at Mount Rainier National Park as well as at a local ski resort.

The Paper Point: Do you think that you will continue to spend your free time volunteering as a ski patroller and potentially with the AAE? Fortunately, there is a need for both. 🙂

Dr. Yap: My commitments with volunteering with the ski patrol is mainly limited to weekends and occasionally weekday evenings. I plan to continue to spend some of my extra time ski patrolling next season. I would like to be more involved with the AAE, but not sure where to start. Maybe you can help with some recommendations on how to go about doing that?

The Paper Point: Say no more! I will be in touch with more details soon. Before we go, do you have any final words of wisdom that you would like to share with our readers? 

Dr. Yap: A quote, “You don’t know what you don’t know” by Socrates is what keeps me wanting to learn more. It is important to never be comfortable with your current knowledge as techniques and materials are constantly changing so the learning never ends. Recognizing that you don’t know everything comes with wisdom.