Lasting Impressions | Fall 2016

34 © NSU LASTING IMPRESSIONS Alumni Impressions “If we o ered her the fellowship, she had to be head and shoulders above the rest in con dence and background,” Flax said. “I found her to be one of the most resourceful people I’ve ever met. She did everything on time; she was the rst in her group. She will be famous in our department for years to come.” Her professional life is not all about clinical endodontics. She lectured last year to the Central Florida Academy of General Dentistry and has taught predoctoral endodontics at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Dental Medicine across town from her o ce in Bradenton. And, yes, her students tease her that she is barely older than they are. Millstein takes it in stride, and Flax is not sur- prised. To make it through her training, she had to be able to know her subject—and to defend everything to her peers. He calls her “the consummate professional” who is well-prepared at all times. “She had to read thousands of articles, with all the pros and cons,” Flax said. “She had to know how the nine disciplines of dentistry interconnect. It takes a special kind of person who is willing to take criticism and discuss what they did without taking it personally. She has con dence. It’s di cult to stand up to your class in front of dentists and specialists who all think they know everything. You have to have all the information at your ngertips. You have to be responsi- ble for every millimeter. You better know everything about it.” Millstein also contributes, with three of her physical tness peers, to a blog that combines tness and inspiration. But her friends see much more writing in her future. “I never saw someone who could write like Ashley,” Marchesan said. To unwind, Millstein works out several times a week at a local gym. She earned a black belt in American Kenpo Karate, practicing for 12 years and winning three state karate titles by the time she was 12. As for her future, Millstein wants to work with schools and dental students to promote dental education. Most importantly, she wants to inspire as many people along the way as possible. “For me, it’s all about giving back,” she said. “If people didn’t give me a chance, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” Ashley Millstein chose her current endodontics position because it allows her to treat an underserved population on Florida’s west coast. Continued from previous page