Category Archives: Life as a New Dentist

Alaska woman returns home to work as dentist under childhood doctor

Editor’s note: This is article, republished with permission, originally appeared in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on May 22, 2017. Sam Friedman, Daily News Miner Fairbanks, Ala. — New Fairbanks dentist Dr. Ecsile Chang knew what she wanted to be when she grew up at a younger age than most children. Chang remembers always being interested in teeth as… Read More »

Never a dull moment: New dentists discuss managing work with life and family

A partner dentist in a group practice in Massachusetts, a spouse and a mom to two children ages 5 and 3, Dr. Andrea Fallon knows well the day-to-day challenges of balancing job and family responsibilities. “Dentists have worked so very hard to gain that degree, and owner dentists have an obligation to their practice and staff to continue… Read More »

Getting to know you: Dr. Courtney Burrill

Why dentistry? My journey to dentistry was not a straight path. I started a family right out of college, moved around with my husband’s career and I worked as a high school science teacher. When the opportunity presented itself to attend dental school, I took it! Its the perfect mix; getting the opportunity to help others and getting… Read More »

Refinancing my student loans and owning my education

$254,358.44. This is the amount it cost me for four years of two bachelor’s degrees and four years of a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. I’m not proud of that number, but it could be worse. In fact, I already did pay off some of the undergrad loans prior to this number. But this is the number I… Read More »

How do we find the time?

Everyone is busy, we know. We’re no different. Between the two of us, we hold six jobs. We are both full-time directors of pre-doctoral dental programs. Eric is the owner of a national insurance agency, and Ivy has a dental practice in Manhattan. We founded and recently launched an online algorithmic dental job matching service. As busy as… Read More »

‘We need to remember why we came to this profession’

When Dr. Nayrika Salamati entered a makeshift dental clinic inside a church in Hanover Parish in northwestern Jamaica, it felt humid and dark. “We brought our own lights and our own fans,” she said. “It wasn’t ideal but it worked well enough.” By 8:30 a.m., busloads of schoolchildren would arrive ready to receive free dental services from a… Read More »