Scott Wang, a lifelong artist and musician, was drawn to dentistry as a teenager because it fused manual skill with healthcare. Shadowing his orthodontist in high school, he noticed the parallels between treatment planning and artistic principles such as symmetry and spatial analysis.
He was also inspired by his orthodontist’s generosity in providing free treatments to those in need. “That really opened my eyes,” Wang said, “to how orthodontics can change lives.”
A Dallas native, Wang chose Case Western Reserve because of its highly competitive, seven-year Pre-Professional Scholars Program. Plus, “the undergrad campus felt comfortable, and the dental school’s new facilities were a big draw,” he said. “Cleveland also has a rich arts and music scene, and having major hospital centers and museums nearby gave me everything I wanted.”
After completing his bachelor’s degree, he continued on with the School of Dental Medicine, the benefit of the Pre-Professional Scholars Program, through which students are accepted for their undergraduate studies and granted conditional admission to the dental school. As he entered his fourth and final year of dental school, Wang was surprised— and honored—to learn he was named the inaugural recipient of the Ronald L. Occhionero, DDS “Dr. O” Academic-Clinical General Practice Preceptor Program Scholarship.
Established in 2023 by Ronald L. Occhionero (DEN ’61) and his wife, Carole, the fund is designed to support fourth-year graduate students who excel academically and demonstrate a strong commitment to general dentistry. Eligible students are selected from the top 15% of their class and are eligible for a one-year, full-tuition scholarship. For Wang, who is going through the costly process of applying to residencies, the scholarship has eased his financial worries and given him “much more freedom in considering where to apply”—providing f lexibility that makes him immensely grateful to the donor.
Occhionero, who retired in 2022 after 58 years on the School of Dental Medicine faculty, was instrumental in launching the the school’s Preceptor Program, for which the fund is named. This model pairs students with experienced dentists— preceptors—who teach comprehensive patient care. Instituted in 1966, the Preceptor Program became a national standard for dental education.
“I feel like our patient-centered model is part of what makes this program special,” Wang said. “I love being able to stay with a patient from the admitting appointment all the way through to the end. And to be the first recipient of a scholarship created by the man who came up with the blueprint is pretty amazing.”
