Brushstrokes

Swimmers win gold, silver or bronze by fractions of seconds. Dentists work in acute detail, sometimes in mere millimeters, to perfect a smile or repair teeth. 

Two very different endeavors, but for one VCU School of Dentistry scholarship recipient, the mental toughness needed to succeed in each is quite similar. 

Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson, a first-year dental student, learned to swim before she was two years old and never looked back. A native of Nassau, Bahamas, swimming was simply part of life for children growing up on an island nation.

Through school and club teams, Thompson competed in regional competitions by age 11. At 18, she began competing in the World Aquatics Championships. 

VCU teaches you how to be a dentist, wholistically, so you can treat the whole patient.

 Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson, student, VCU School of Dentistry

By the time she graduated last year with a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, she’d broken several school records, including breaststroke, the 200- and 400-meter relays and freestyle relays. Among her proudest moments was seeing her name and her records unveiled during a university event last fall.

“To see my name up there was just so nice,” Thompson said. “It really felt good to know that all the time and effort I put in there was worth it.” 

That same desire to be the best now guides her journey through dental school. Thompson said she always knew she wanted to be in the medical field, initially leaning toward surgery. Work-life balance is important to her, she said, so she cast a wider net toward future ambitions. 

Her father is an orthodontist, and after shadowing in the profession, she realized that she had a passion for dentistry. She hopes to return to the Bahamas one day and serve her community.

“I saw the impact dentists have on their patients, and the relationships they build with them,” she said. “Patients trust their dentists, and I want to build those relationships too, and I also want the flexibility to work on my own time and be my own boss and have a family.”

That, “and it’s important to do good for your community,” she said.

Thompson recognized how special VCU was while on campus for her dental school interview.

“I knew from the day I got here that this is where I wanted to be because of the environment, the people and the support,” she said. “You don’t normally see dental students who are always happy and, in my classes, we’re all laughing. It’s stressful, but I love it and we’re all in it together.” 

Thompson is the recipient of a William B. Fitzhugh Scholarship, which is awarded to deserving dental school students who were athletes during their undergraduate studies. 

“It’s an honor to be held to a standard significant enough to receive a scholarship and it’s a responsibility that motivates me to respect and uphold it,” she said. “That support makes a difference because it gives students confidence, stability and freedom — and those can be just as powerful as the financial support itself.”

Despite her rigorous school schedule, Thompson plans to train throughout the spring so she can qualify for the international Commonwealth Games this summer in Glasgow, Scotland.

Juggling school and swimming has been challenging, she admits. But she also feels like VCU is giving her the skills academically and personally to reach her goals — both inside the classroom and the swimming lanes. 

“VCU teaches you how to be a dentist, wholistically, so you can treat the whole patient,” she said. “They teach you the unspoken things, and that’s what I really love about it. My classmates and I are going to graduate as excellent dentists.” 

If you would like to support the VCU School of Dentistry, please contact Gloria Callihan, the school’s associate dean for development and alumni relations, at 804-828-8101 or gfcallihan@vcu.edu.