Ceramic Creation and Carving: Manual Dexterity for Pre-Health Students

Abstract

Since I was a child, I have loved art and design. I saw that the dental field calls for detail-oriented and caring providers, so I chose a pre-health concentration. Manual dexterity skills are necessary in health professions as the work done is very intricate, especially in dentistry as the area of operation is very condensed. For my project, I explored this link between art and the need for attention to detail in healthcare answering the question, “how does using attention to detail in hands-on art improve manual dexterity?”. I created three pieces, each exploring a different aspect of detail work that has improved my fine motor agility and prepared me to eventually be a great dental provider. The overall themes portrayed are emotional development, women in dentistry, creatives in healthcare, and of course hand skill growth through detailed practice.