Hey there! I'm 2LT Tess Kornacki, and I hope that this attempt at a blog I am starting will show others the journey I am about to take on! I hope my documentation of my experiences will give advice, laughs, and some wisdom to those wishing to become healthcare professionals as well! The lovely gal in the picture is my identical twin sister, 2LT Erin Kornacki, and she is heading to San Antonio to IPAP (the interservice physician's assistant program) at Fort Sam. We are both very excited to begin our careers and start helping others, but separation for the first time after 22 years of togetherness will be tough!!

To give a little background on me, I completed my undergrad at Kansas State University as a Psychology major, and commissioned through Kansas State's Army ROTC program. It has been a very difficult but rewarding experience, but I'm so glad I chose ROTC as my avenue to achieve my goals. I will owe the military a minimum of 4 years active duty and 4 years reserves, and am also currently in the process of applying for HPSP (health professions scholarship program  through the military)- which if I receive that I will owe 4 additional years. It is my true desire in life to serve soldiers and help others through my career choice.

I have been accepted to the inaugural class at AT Still's Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health, and I will begin in late September. I'm so excited! I have no idea what to expect, as I will be the guinea pig :) I definitely know that the next 4 years will be incredibly rigorous, but I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve my country in the future as a dentist! Hoo-ah! I hope my experiences will be able to help future dental students get through it as well!