Dr. Abernethy grew up in Concord, North Carolina, however, she has called Raleigh “home” for the past 20 years. She came to Raleigh to attend college and graduated from Meredith College Magna Cum Laude in 2001 with a BS in biology and a minor in chemical physics.

Dr. Abernethy was always interested in the medical profession, but was unsure of the direction she wanted to take. The morning of the first day at Meredith College, the right side of her face swelled to the size of a baseball! She needed an emergency root canal and after talking with the endodontist about her professional goals, he helped her to start an externship program at Meredith.

She was able to complete two externships while in college. She would attend regular classes on campus, and then go to a dental office where she had the opportunity to learn more about the profession in a “real-world” setting. She will never forget the first time she was able to see a smile makeover from start to finish.