When you think about picking your major in college, most of the time it’s done very practically and without much thought. If you want to be a movie star, you choose theater. If you dream of being the Beyoncé, you pick music (or you try out for one of the many vocal talent shows on TV nowadays). The next Wall Street mogul? Business Administration.
So when I met William Ferrante, a junior double majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology and Studio Art with hopes of going on to dental school and becoming an oral surgeon, I was intrigued and needed to learn more.
What made you want to take up Pre-Med as a college career path?
I knew I wanted to study biology after taking it freshman year of high school, and I wanted to do something with art my junior year of high school, though art school wasn’t a viable option.
When did you realize you wanted to become an oral surgeon?
I have wanted to be a doctor since 8th grade, though after realizing I could combine the artsy side and the science side of me into one career, I figured dental school was a more practical career. It’s also partially meaningful to me, since I owe it to my oral surgeon and dentist for fixing my teeth back in high school.
How exactly do dental school, cell and molecular biology and studio art go together?
I feel like most people at Binghamton choose to do the BA in Biological Sciences, whereas I chose to specialize in Cell and Molecular Biology. That way, I’m involved in a lot more research and lab based courses which allow me to learn practical lab techniques. Lots of people claim they aren’t creative and could never be an art major, but I don’t think that’s true, so I think being an art major is different than the norm. As an art major I can apply concepts I learned in my courses like: sculpture, reconstruction, working with small tools and focusing in on small details which is extremely helpful when you’re all up in someone’s mouth.
You’ve also considered teaching, when did that whole idea come about?
Early around my sophomore year, I got involved with research with a professor and have enjoyed research ever since. That led me to consider research and or teaching as another potential career option.
So you’ve got a good idea on what your future plans are?
I’d love to obtain my PhD someday and if oral surgery falls through, I can also do cosmetic work and reconstruction too.