NAAHP Blog

What is your occupation and academic background and how did you come to work in this field?

I am a general dentist in private practice. I received my B.S. in Engineering Science from New Jersey Institute of Technology as a member of the Albert Dorman Honors College. I completed my dental degree at New Jersey Dental School-UMDNJ, now known as at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. I was fortunate enough to participate in the 7-year accelerated BS/DMD program which allowed me conditional admission to dental school as a senior in high school. This removed one year from my undergraduate studies provided I attended college year round. I am currently a pre-fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry and I am completing course work to receive my fellowship award.I came about dentistry by chance exposure. As a teen I was looking for a part-time job in the summer. I happened to ask my dentist if he needed any help in this office. I was hired and received on the job training as a dental assistant. I loved interacting with people, working with my hands, and how every day in the office allowed for a different experience. Ultimately, I felt dentistry was a great fit for my personality, I loved what I saw, and thus decided to pursue it as a career.

What is the biggest challenge of your work?

The biggest challenge of my work is maintaining clinical excellence while also learning the business side of dentistry. There are so many people in various fields of medicine who are well-trained in the sciences but never take the steps to learn how to be a well-managed business owner. Over the last year and a half much have my free time has been taken to personally meet one-on-one with various business owners, financial planners, taking dental business courses, and reading on management. It is imperative I educate myself on running a practice. If I put myself in a position to do well as a dentist and business owner, it allows me the opportunity to do more volunteer work and outreach to the community.

Identify one or two of your proudest achievements?

My proudest achievement thus far has been completing my dental degree.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years I see myself owning a successful dental practice that employs other dentists. In addition, I see myself doing some type of teaching in dentistry as well as some more volunteer work with youth. Most importantly, I see myself having an excellent work-life balance.

What would be your advice to young people who want their careers and lives to have impact?

Ask questions! If I didn’t ask my dentist if he wanted help in the office I would never had the chance to be exposed to dentistry. Who knows where I would be? You don’t know if you don’t ask.

Ask for help! I was never a perfect student and there were times in my academic career in which I struggled. I wish in my past I had asked for help when I needed it. There are so many other people who are willing to support you and others may be struggling with the same issue. You’ll never know if you don’t ask for help.

Always keep a positive attitude about your work. There are times you have to take classes you loathe, deal with individuals who are not your favorite, and come across rough patches. You can’t help how you feel but you can choose how you react. Making a positive attitude a habit will make a huge difference in your outlook.