Dr. Mikaela Gisch

I was born and raised in Midland, Michigan, but don’t worry – I’m a Buckeye now! Midland is one of the safest cities in Michigan so there isn’t much to do there, except go to the movies. I grew up on a small sheep farm, which kept my childhood entertaining, to say the least. I can ride a horse, milk a cow, and bale some hay! 

I loved spending time with my friends growing up. Living on a farm and attending a rural elementary school, I met other country kids. So my childhood mainly involved playing outside in the woods or open fields. However, I think my favorite activity while growing up— and still a favorite thing today—is shopping with my mom. She used to take me antique shopping, and I always enjoyed the adventure because it usually ended with lunch somewhere. Now, I love antiquing and filling my apartment with vintage flowerpots for my growing houseplant collection.

It gets better. I had a few close friends, but I was very quiet in school. I never went to school dances or spent Friday nights at football games. Fast forward 5 and 10 years … I now live a fantastic life filled with friends across the country. I’ve attended dental school galas, organized conferences for schools in multiple states, and I wouldn't trade my life today for anything in the world! 

Mr. Mark Camilleri, my high school science teacher was a great inspiration. He believed in me when I was struggling in science. My previous science teacher told me I wasn’t good at science and even said I had no chance of becoming a dentist. Mr. Camilleri rewrote that narrative for me. He showed me that I could do hard things and even enjoy it! I loved his classes and learning from him. I credit him with much of my success in school. 

At the age of seven, I came home from school one day and proclaimed, “I am going to be a dentist when I grow up.” This confused my mom because we had no dentists or any other healthcare professionals in the family. But I guess my soul knew my destiny because I never stopped saying I wanted to be a dentist. Some may argue I spoke it into existence. If I had a second career, I think I would be a car dealer. I’ve always found the art of selling cars fascinating, and I think it’s something I would be good at because I love to make a deal! 

Integrity is crucial; I believe that without it, everything else you do becomes pointless. I always tell people that I need to be able to sleep at night with a clear conscience. To do that, I must make sure that everything I do maintains a high level of integrity.

By far, Dr. Markus Mosley, my best friend and co-resident in the GPR program. He had the most profound and positive impact on my life. He was the happiest, most positive, and most genuine person I’ve ever known and he had the ability to turn any situation into a positive one. He connected with everyone he met in such a personal way that when you walked away from him, you felt a little more blessed. Dr. Mosley recently passed away but before he left this earth, he reminded me about the importance of joy. I can still hear his voice as he said to me, “You can’t ever lose your joy.” I think that statement speaks volumes about the kind of person he was and the legacy he leaves. 

Initially, Ohio State wasn't on my radar because I wanted to pursue a GPR in Chicago. On match day, I was returning from a bachelorette trip in Puerto Rico with a good friend, Dr. Janelle Enriquez. We were both waiting to see which programs were our matches – OMFS for her and GPR for me. We were thousands of miles somewhere above Cuba, celebrating in advance with Wi-Fi and champagne. Janelle matched to Ohio State’s OMFS program, but I didn’t match with the programs in Chicago. My excitement for her outweighed my disappointment and we spent our layover exploring other options. As it happened, Ohio State had an open spot in GPR. So, I emailed Dr. Mark Wenzel, the GPR Director, and the rest is history. My experiences as a member of the Buckeye Nation and the GPR program’s chief resident have been great. I’m very thankful for the way it all turned out!

During my time in dental school, I became very involved in advocating for patients and my fellow colleagues. I participated in the American Student Dental Association, where I had the opportunity to travel across the country and speak with dental students and dentists. I realized the importance of advocacy in our profession, and I wanted to be an active participant. When I committed to Ohio State’s GPR program, I immediately started exploring opportunities to further my education in other areas. The MSL program will help strengthen my advocacy roles. 

Life is short. After the recent passing of my colleague and best friend, Dr. Markus Mosley, I realized how fleeting life can be. We often take our lives for granted and assume we'll be here forever. But our days are limited and we should make the most of each one. I believe we focus so much on tomorrow that we forget about the importance of today – even though tomorrow isn't guaranteed. So enjoy today. Tell your loved ones you care. And thank God for every tomorrow you receive!