"I initially offered to help him recruit dentists from UCSF, but he suggested that I join him on a trip he was taking that weekend," Trent says. With midterms literally days away, Trent declined. "A few minutes later I thought to myself, 'This is ridiculous,' and I called him back to say I would go."

That weekend, Trent helped to screen and treat people in the Salton Sea area of southeastern California after flying down in a private jet ("Most of the planes aren't quite that luxurious," he says). "It was a pivotal experience in my career. It showed me a side of dentistry I had never seen before."

Since then, the third-year dental student has visited Baja California, El Salvador and other Central American locations to help provide dental care to those who might otherwise never see a dentist. At UCSF, he is also the director of the public service Community Dental Clinic, which provides care to the city's indigent population.

Trent's work helping others is part of an abiding belief that dentistry students need time not only to learn the practice of dentistry, but also to learn the art of caring for patients. "When dental schools have community service programs, they are fostering an idea of what a provider is, that a provider is someone who is reacting to patient concerns," Trent says. "That's probably one of the most important lessons students can learn, and they just need an avenue to do that."

Some people might see a huge contrast between Trent's life now and when he was growing up in Chicago. There he would often stay out until the wee hours of the morning, gigging at local venues, playing guitar with other musicians and reading philosophy books in coffee shops. "It was a much different lifestyle than what I have now, but one I enjoyed very much."

Where others might see a conflict, though, Trent sees a continuum of interests and ideals. For him, dentistry itself is a highly artistic undertaking, and helping others is a natural outgrowth of the empathy common to musicians.

In fact it was the artistic side that initially got him interested in the field. At 16

he picked up a brochure called "The Art and Science of Dentistry" and became intrigued. "I had never thought of dental work as being particularly artistic before," he says. Shortly thereafter he got a job in a dentist's office and found he liked it and the interaction with patients.

"There's a lot of art involved in dental work, all the shading and shaping," Trent says. "My sister is an artist, and she was surprised how similar my dentistry classes are to some of her art classes."

Trent admits that having spent a lot of time in a dental office is an advantage that allows him to devote more time to community service than other students might feel comfortable with. "I probably didn't have to study procedures or vocabulary as much because I've already spent a considerable amount of time in the dental setting before coming to school," Trent says.

Nonetheless, Trent feels that all students would be freer to do community service work if the school administration made it a higher priority. "We have a grading system where GPAs are calculated to the nth decimal place and I don't think you need that," he says. "Students spend a lot of time competing for the grade. We should be more like the medical school and have a pass/fail system." Trent also believes that students should be encouraged (although not required) to get involved in programs that help other people. "If students do not participate in community service activities during their professional training, they are probably much less likely to start once in private practice."

Trent has been talking to school administrators about making these kinds of changes, and they have been receptive, he says. Trent is also quick to point out that in many ways UCSF is doing a wonderful job with community service already. "Last year at the Community Dental Clinic we provided $60,000 in free dental services, which is far above what nearly any other school in the country does," he says. Trent recounts a conversation he had with a dental student from another university about their community service programs. "He told me that one day a year they go out and distribute thousands of toothbrushes," Trent says. "Which is nice, but it kind of leaves you wanting a little more."

That has never been a problem for Trent, who continues to set the standard for other UCSF dentistry students who view a dentistry career as a way to help people. As for the future after dental school, Trent remains coy about the details, although it's clear that a profound sense of altruism will be guiding his decisions. Music will be part of it, too. "I joke that I haven't given up on the idea of being a rock star," he says. Although he does not have as much time for playing as he used to, he is still able to slip in an occasional performance and tends to play on the road to relax and open doors. "When you travel with a guitar, people aren't as intimidated," Trent says. "You aren't a doctor or a dentist, but just a guy playing guitar."

And then there are those moments where the dentistry and the music and the rock star dreams come together. On a recent medical trip to El Salvador he found another guitarist who was along to help: Smash Mouth lead guitar player Greg Camp, whose father, Mike Camp, started the Flying Doctors in 1974. After a day's work, the two jammed into the night.