Transcription
Hi everybody. Uh, today I'm privileged to have Dr. Dara with me. Uh, she's actually one of the few candidates during the last cycle, like in 2025. She got accepted to four schools, got invites from 10 schools, and she's originally from Turkey. And I got the opportunity to talk to her about 8, 9 months ago, I think, when you started, were about to apply and working on the on your application and all of those aspects. And she lives in New York. That's when I got to talk to her. And throughout her journey, we did get to talk in between. But I'm, uh, very happy to have her on my channel interviewing her. Not just because she got acceptances and she can share her, uh, perspective, but also the fact that she's Turkish, and there aren't many candidates in the past coming from Turkey. There aren't many Turks coming in the process, but she's one of the few. So, I, I get to learn a lot about different cultures and language. So, thank you, Dr. Delara, for your time.
Thank you, Adria. Thank you for having me. Yeah, I'm also very excited because I've been following your videos and your account since I started this journey. Now, I'm sitting here on the accepted, uh, site. So, I'm very happy and excited to share my experience.
He's, I've been through it, but it's been a while. It's been like five, six years. I want you to, in the morning, I was, I was lying down and I was thinking like all the work that you, we all have to do in US. And then I was sitting on the bed and I was like thinking, well, whatever problems I'm dealing, like three years ago, these would have been like a blessing, like this would be a blessing for me to even have these problems now. I want to ask you, an year ago, when you were working in New York, you changed trains, you had to travel. There was a lot of, uh, work, stress, load, family management, and you're applying to CAPID. Did you actually think like you would be sitting up there and you would have four acceptances? Because you're at a phase where you're choosing schools. Schools aren't choosing you. Now, you get to make your own pick, which one you like. So, how about six, seven months ago, how, how's been the transition of that?
Well, actually, I wouldn't expect that because there's a saying, you know, when you let things happen, they just happen. I promised myself that this year would be my last year. Actually, I was ready to leave dentistry. I told myself, "No, I'm not going to try this again because it consumed my time and a lot of money. I invested a lot. I invested my energy." Also, I was thinking that, oh, maybe I can do something else in life. Maybe I'm not made for this. After I made this decision, the acceptances, interviews, and and other like dental assistant jobs, all of the things started coming to me and I told myself, "Wow, maybe that's the thing that I should be doing for my future American dentistry." So, that's why I wouldn't expect that. Yeah, I was ready to leave, actually.
So here's my question. What was your backup plan? If you would have quit dentistry, what would you have gone for?
That's an interesting question, right?
So, yeah, what's my backup plan? So I was looking for a lot of jobs from YouTube. Actually, I was trying to improve my, maybe, um, skills for corporate jobs. I also applied for Delta Dental, the insurance company. Of course, they did not accept me. They told me, "Oh, you have a nice CV, but your background isn't aligned with that." So, I was decided to align my CV according to these kind of more corporate jobs, actually. Then I got multiple acceptances.
So, here's my question. And now, let's, can you tell us which schools you've been? I know you're going to NYU. Uh, she's going to be starting school in January, which I'm pretty happy because a lot of the people, uh, that I work with or I've been connected have been going to NYU. It's a pretty good school. Um, so what other school were they? Columbia and which other two schools did you got accepted to?
Colombia, Boston, and UIC.
Okay. Boston and UIC. All right. Okay. Yeah, UIC is pretty expensive comparatively, and moving to Chicago is a little bit of, uh, it's a, it's a transition. And even, uh, moving to Boston. Yeah. Yeah. But so I think it's a pretty good pick you made. Columbia is expensive too. Uh, so, yeah, I think it's, uh, NYU is one of the best picks that you made. So now, and you got 10 invites. So, do you remember the name of the school where you got invites?
Oh, yeah, I even took notes of them. So I got invites from NYU, UPEN, Alabama, UOP, UCSF, USC, Colombia, UT San Antonio, UIC, and North Carolina. Boston did not invite me this year because I'm a reapplicant for them. So they didn't interview me this year. They just sent me an acceptance.
So, which, which, uh, did, how many schools did you interview out of these 10?
Uh, five. Which was...
On top of the ones that I got accepted. I interviewed with UPEN also. I did not get accepted.
So, how was, do you think your interview at UPEN was different as compared to, uh, these other places?
Um, you mean like, was it worse? Why didn't I get accepted there? Is that...
Overall? Overall, the kind of questions they had or kind of things they asked in the interview from your experience, have they been similar or any school was a little bit different than the other ones?
Actually, I studied like my final exam for UPEN interview because it was my first interview. Like, I, I downloaded...
What did you study?
Interview questions. I studied also your videos, multiple stuff all over Reddit, internet. So, it was pretty easy for me. But they ask real questions, like real ethical scenarios or my background. They literally, uh, ask every single detail about my resume. They even asked me why my DDS GPA was different from my PhD GPA because there was a significant difference between them. She asked me how could I explain it. I even studied that question, and it would be too hard for me to answer it if I did not study beforehand. So, it was the easiest one, actually, for me because it was the first interview I took, and it was the, uh, one that I studied a lot.
Makes sense. And I think that kind of, and I think personally, you're, you're good with your thoughts. You can speak whatever you're thinking. You're able to, the word is, you can articulate. Like, even when I'm talking to you right now, uh, you can think and articulate your words pretty fast. So, I presume from there, your interview should have been going good. Uh, and it's a skill that people develop over time. So, going back to your, how many cycles have you, so tell us a little about about Turkey. What year did you graduate in Turkey?
Okay, I graduated in 2016. Then I completed a PhD in prosthodontics. So, in Turkey, residencies are kind of different. They allow you to obtain PhD in clinical sciences as well. I wanted to, uh, go to PhD route because I always aimed to be a professor, a clinical instructor at a university. So, I wanted to do a PhD. Whatever. Uh, at the meantime, I also worked at private clinics. And then I completed, after completing my PhD, I worked, uh, one year as an assistant professor, then I came here.
So, did you, did you really like prosthodontics? Like, if you still had to do one specialization, would you go back in prostho?
No, I love it. I love it, but I wouldn't do it. Planning to do a specialization in...
What, what part of prostho did you like the most?
Well, my thesis was specifically on fixed prosthodontics. So, there were three departments at the university that I was doing my PhD: uh, maxilla facial prosthodontics, removable, and fixed. I was on the fixed side. So, that was my specialty, basically. Yeah. I, if you ask me, like, I wish I get more time to learn prostho, but I think general dentistry is prosthodontics.
Because everything, everything starts from occlusion, and occlusion belongs to prostho.
So, right now, like, I wish I had the time and energy. Prostho, understanding occlusion is a pain in the neck. Like, I've tried sitting down with my, one of my really good friends is an orthodontist. I'm like, occlusion is very tough to understand. It's a, it's a dynamic moment. It keeps changing. At least for me, and I'm a little bit more surgical background. So, yeah. But right now, with prostho, right now, I think the way implants are going, like they are moving forward in US, uh, prostho and perio is ahead of the game. Like, when it comes to full arches or single units or aesthetic cases or veneers or smile makeovers, like prostho, people are doing great work up there. Uh, so, okay, so, so how long was your PhD? It was three years?
It was five years, but last year for the last two years, I did not go. It was COVID.
Okay.
Uh, so after two years, you didn't have to go to school, you just needed to complete your academic requirements.
Okay.
Writing papers, writing your thesis, things like that.
And when did you, did you always want to come to US or that was something you planned?
I, I never thought about it, actually. I met my husband, and he was living here. So, love brought me here, basically.
Okay. Do you live? Because again, that's the thing. No, there aren't many Turks that come to US. Uh, that, that was one of the things I was talking to earlier, too. So, when did you, when you came to New York, this was 2023?
'22.
'22. So, how was that transition? You were a prosthodontist, you did specialty, you were teaching, and now you landed in the Big Apple, and it's a crazy transition, just getting used to the food, the people, the speed of life. So, how was that for you?
Well, the hard part was, so after completing my residency, I started as an assistant professor, and I was teaching residents. I had my doctoral candidates. I was an advisor. So, after moving here, I had to switch into a dental assistant position. It was very tough for me.
Physically. Yeah.
Yeah. I, I had to adjust my resume. Uh, I had to delete many experiences of mine because no one accepts the dental assistant.
You have to downgrade yourself. Yeah. I did downgrade myself, and, um, I went to many interviews for the new assistant position, and they told me, "No, we're not getting you. We're not, uh, accepting you because you're not an assistant. Not because you're not capable of it. Are you sure? Can you do it?" They asked me questions like that. I, I couldn't even find an assistant job. So, for ego-wise, yeah, it was pretty hard, but I'm glad that I did it because I think we all have to crash our...
In the start. It's very tough. I think you have to clean the suction pumps, you have to do all the crazy stuff. And...
Have to take out the trash, you have to clean the floor. There's no limit to the things that you want. You want to hear something fun, Doc? It doesn't end with the dental assisting. Like, as a doc, like when I bought a clinic, there were first couple of, I had crazy stories. Not to go into too much detail. I had one person who had ethical issues, the other one stealing issues. And there was a time I didn't have any dental assistant, so I was cleaning my chair, I was doing procedures, I was cleaning up all the practice, the dumpster in the cold, and you throw it. So, it doesn't, there are times you have to do it all over again. But I think once you do it in the early start of your migration, you become very flexible in US. I think America breaks your ego. That's what it does.
So, so here's my question. So, how did you start building up your resume according to CAPID? And when did you start applying to CAPID?
So, um, building my resume specifically for CAPID, I started after I cleared my INBDE and TOEFL. Actually, I started working as an assistant for the first year, and when I applied for the first year, I was just working for a month, I guess. So, I don't think schools, uh, saw it as a real experience. For my first cycle, I think I applied to nine schools. Then I got just two interviews, zero acceptances. And then after that, I thought like, okay, I missed something there. There should be better. There should be something better because I saw myself as a competitive candidate. Probably I was missing something about my application. So, um, like I said, I, I watched a lot of videos of you, and I also did a lot of research, Facebook groups, WhatsApp groups, Telegram groups, asking friends, this, that, um, I attended volunteering, uh, experiences. Actually, my husband found many of them with Colgate, with New York, uh, dental societies. And also, what else? My letters, recommendation letter was better this year, uh, from the clinic that I was working for as a dental assistant. They allowed me to write my own letter, tailor my own letter. Sorry. Sorry. I'm going to drink water.
Makes sense, Doc.
So, yeah, I think my letters were better. And like you said in one of your videos, my application was brief, very short this year. And my, I think personal statement, you helped me with that. It was more personal, not like generic.
Makes sense.
Good.
Yeah. I, I think especially, just to, now I'm going to give my perspective. I could be wrong. And if somebody comes from, I had one Turk person who is in Florida, who has a portfolio. I hope she's listening to this podcast. Uh, she, the thing that I would feel, somebody with your background, you can easily. I posted on my story today, "Never outshine your master." All right. That's that's a, there's a book called "48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene, and he says one of the biggest mistakes that we make is we outshine our masters. And I have done it too. On one of my Christmas parties to the place I used to work as an associate, I took my car, uh, so which I shouldn't have. But the owner boss was like, oh, he, he owned like millions of dollars of practices, and he were like, "When I'm going to retire, I'm going to buy a Porsche." And then he saw his associate driving around with it. And after that, his, his, I felt like his perspective changed. It changed a little bit. What I'm trying to say, that was the time I learned the lesson is that, you never outshine your master. So, in your resume, now coming to it, now this person coming from Turkey has like way younger than them, has a, has a dental degree, then has a postgrad, then has a PhD, then have been teaching postgrad residents at a younger age, and she's just new to the system. They are like, "Okay, she might outshine us, or she might not learn from us." Now, you might find this amusing, but understand, in their world, I've seen people, uh, in Colorado who were like 50 years old, people who had PhDs. It's very hard to teach them now because they are, the glass is so full already, there's not enough space to put in water. So, when people who have PhD or postgrad, when they are writing their resumes, when they are writing their application, what you want to focus on is mention that I have gone through learning, and I want to learn more. Sometimes people write, "Oh, I was a postgrad teacher," and I'll tell you, Dara, when you go and introduce yourself to your faculty, to the people in school, heads are going to turn when they listen that you were a postgrad instructor. So, you have to use words very carefully, not to rub people off. People will get envious. They, even your co- uh, your class fellows and stuff. "Oh, she's the big shot. She's like the specialist in prostho." And so, what if I, when I'm writing an application for somebody like you, I write the word like, "I got the opportunity to do a doctorate where I got to learn the importance of occlusion and how much more I want to learn in life." Do you understand? Like, so you're kind of saying, "I got to learn, but I want to learn more." Now.
Yeah. So, uh, this was not for you, but for the people who are...
No, you're right. This is what happened last year. Uh, my interview with Boston, actually. It was a perfect interview, but then I didn't get accepted. And I started thinking about my interview, what I did wrong, and I realized that I was doing like an associate's interview, or like a faculty interview. They, she saw a dentist in front of her. She didn't see a student. I was, I was sitting as a dentist. She asked me how many crowns I did. I couldn't even count. And then she asked me how many, I don't know, partial dentures I did. When I started telling things to her, she was like, "Wow, really? Did you take a lot of care patients?" Blah, blah, blah. And I was like a dentist. I wasn't a student there.
I, I, I did it, and I learned it from the hard way. Yeah.
It took my one year. I had to reapply.
It's a, it's a tricky place. Yeah, it's kind of like you have to. And I, the reason I'm saying this, so I hope other people can understand. Some people are very fresh and they don't have any experiences, and some people have a little bit more experience, like you. So, and US is, in US, they only care about what you have done in US. They don't really care about what you've done in India, Turkey, Pakistan. They're like, "Whatever." So, when, if I say, "Oh, I was becoming an oral surgeon in Pakistan," they're like, "Yeah, yeah, we don't give a crap about you or your qualifications in the country." Like, back in their head. I'm not saying in a demeaning way. So, you have to be very careful in saying, "I was trying to learn, and whatever the best options I had in my country, I did it. But when I came to US, this is where my real learning is starting." That's what they want to hear. It's just a tricky slope. Okay, let, moving forward with it, Doc. So, this year, when you got accepted, here's the question. Now, people there will be people like you who applied one year, got some invites, maybe not got some invites, and they, in 2026, they want to change things. There must be one or two people watching this video thinking, "If I don't get in this year, this is my last year." Just like how you said it in '25. So, my question is, what did you do differently, or what advice would you say that you incorporated in this year that made this significant difference of getting 10 invites and getting four acceptances?
Well, when I was writing my application, so I applied to 19 schools, okay? And every school has their own application, and it took a lot of time and money. I, I also applied to North Carolina, and I got an interview from there. I didn't go. But when I was writing their, um, application, they asked ethical scenarios, like real-life questions. When I was writing them, I realized that, oh, these are my real experiences. I already experienced them. I didn't take AI help. I didn't search online. I just, uh, wrote my own thoughts, my experiences, and I realized that, wow, I'm ready for US dentistry. When I was just applying, I realized that. And then after a month, I met with a friend from Turkey. She was just visiting. When I was telling her my own experiences, she told me the same thing. "I think you're ready. You're already telling me all the things." Like, she was very surprised because I was talking about diversity in New York. I was talking about the patients that I saw from the countries that I didn't even know their existence on the map, and I was telling all these details in an excited manner. So, I think I reflected my inner thoughts, um, and my personal experiences to my application. I was very sincere, and I didn't do it for them to me get, uh, accept me. I just did it because I experienced them all.
Yeah, because you have experiences. You spent those years. The thing is, at, I think I was kind of close to your situation back when I was applying, where you're kind of like, "I have so much experiences that if I don't get accepted this year, I'm going to do something else in life." Like, I'm like, "Screw it, like I'm above and beyond this now." And I think it gives you a certain level of confidence in your own self. You're like, "I know I'm going to be successful no matter what job I do now."
Exactly. That's what I felt.
Yep. That, and I, this is what I tell people. It's just a life journey that when the more desperate you are, the more things run away from you. And then when you stop and you're like, "Screw it, this is the best I am. Take it or leave it." And then people take you. I don't know. That's how it works. So, uh, yeah. So, so my next question is, Doc. So, first question is, I know now, I know at least three, four, four people from Turkey who's applying. There are about four Turks that I know, five. There might be more in other parts of US who are trying to apply, and they are trying to figure out. What is your advice? Because TOEFL is a big problem at times for people understanding the system, the financial aspect, your education system was different, and this is totally different. So, what advice would you give to these kids, people who are coming in, uh, who's applying, especially to the Turks who are applying?
So, um, specifically for Turkey, um, my original dental school, they just got CODA accreditation. And I emphasized it during my interviews, and I think it was very helpful. If there is someone coming from my dental school, maybe, uh, it's called the editor. Uh, so if they're coming from there, they can just, uh, write it and say it out loud during the interviews. They can say that, "Oh, my education was aligned with US dental system. Uh, I already went through that, blah, blah, blah." Especially for Colombia, it was very helpful. I realized that the interviewer accepted me before we finished the interview. And when I told this to my friends, they said, "Oh, no, they behave like this to everyone." And I told them, "No, he accepted me. I know." Then I got the acceptance. So, if they're coming from that school, they can say things like that. But if they're coming from different schools, um, they can emphasize the diversity in Turkey because in Turkey, we take care of a lot of patients before we graduate. We also take care of patients from all around the world. Uh, especially if they worked in medical tourism clinics. I think it was also very helpful during my interview. Um, what else about Turkey? So...
I have a question. You said your school is now CODA accredited?
That's not applicable for me. I tried. It's valid for the grads after 2024.
So, here's my question. So, if somebody's watching this or you know somebody who's graduating now from your school or from any school in Turkey which is CODA accredited, you can actually try to reach out to state boards like Ohio, other states, and say, "Hey, I got my education from a CODA accredited institution, and this is my certificate, this is my INBDE, this is my TOEFL. I want my license." Because by the end of the day, there are states like Ohio who don't even need a DDS. All Ohio needs is two years of training in a CODA accredited institution. So, and it's a, I don't want to go into a fishy zone, but I know people who weren't able to complete their DDS, but they went through the school. Now, you might think if you don't have a DDS, you can't get a license, but they got licensed in some of the states because some of the states don't need your degree, they just want to see that you served in a CODA accredited school for at least two years, you got the training. So, there's, uh, I made this recent video in Ohio, Vermont, Massachusetts. So, if any of your friends is graduating from a CODA accredited school, they can try to do this, and God knows if some of the boards accept them, they might not have to go through the DDS and the student loans.
Maybe. Yeah, you're right. Some states are more flexible. Ohio, like Milwaukee,
Wisconsin.
Wisconsin. Yeah, because I know, uh, in some places, they also allow you to take care of patients in universities without, um, equivalency, without...
One thing I'll tell you, Dara, in US, and you're comparatively, like, you're starting your journey. It's all a game. Like, US is not one country. So, what I, and on YouTube, I don't want to go into detail. Like, for example, in Florida, you can go in and become a dental hygienist, right? And, yeah,
you can get, you can make $40, $35, right?
And if you work for five years in Florida, you can get a hygiene license in other states like Ohio.
So, it's kind of like a, like a game they play. Like, "Okay, you're a criminal in one state, but in the other state, you're clean." I'm just giving an extreme option. In the same way, like there's a lot of, like, games these boards play because it, New York is very strict. In New York, if I want to be licensed, I need to do one year of GPR.
Area.
Because they are controlling the demand and supply. They don't want too many dentists in there. But if you go to Wisconsin, you go to Ohio, you go to other states, Massachusetts, Vermont, they don't have enough doctors. So, even if your credentials are a little bit bad, or you had a complaint, or if you have issues, they will give you a license. So, and again, I don't want to confuse my viewers and everything. In America, most people become millionaires because of the size of the country. For example, I give this a very stupid, silly example, but it's very important to understand. When I was a student, I used to live in Maryland, Virginia. And I came to New York. And for me, at that time, it was very fascinating to understand a cigarette, a cigarette pack was $7 or $8 in Virginia. And when you travel two hours in New York, that's like $15.
Yeah, because basically, you're paying their rent. So, translate this policy in every profession. They are doing this in pretty much. This is how they control. So, a lot of people, the way they make money, they go to Alabama. For example, I go to Alabama, and you mentioned me about the implant training up there. I can treat patients like I was treating in Pakistan, where I'm not super scared of the legal system,
the way things are, because Alabama is a different state. It's more rural, people are countryside. In, in, if I'm working in New York, like people, everybody wants to freaking sue you, right? That's it. It's very stringent. Everybody has to be very careful. Now, if you go to some other states, it's more flexible. So, you learn a skill from Alabama and you deliver it in New York and make more money.
Do you understand? So, it's all...
Yep. So, that, that is that. Since we were talking about these different states, and I hope people understand this, that America is not one country. It's like 30 countries in one country, and they have different laws in different areas. And if you learn to understand how to use one strength and sell it in a different place, you can actually make more money in less time. It sounds weird. I'm giving marketing classes, but...
No, that's true. But I also want to share a different perspective.
Sure. I worked in Astoria, and it's like, it's considered the world's one of the most diverse...
Middle Eastern community. Yeah. Yeah.
Not just Middle Eastern, all over the world.
You basically see the all over the world. And I didn't feel like a foreigner there.
I think that's the beauty of living in New York as a foreigner.
That is, you, you are never a foreigner. You're always from inside. You're never an outsider. Yes.
So, when I travel other states in the United States, I, I love the beauty. I love the nature. Life quality is better. But when sometimes people hear my accent, they just look at me, and I don't like it. That's just my perspective.
Yeah, I understand that. I, I understand.
That's something else.
I, I'll tell you one thing. Obama says it that the, and you, you will get to, hopefully, inshallah, in future, you get to travel a lot. You get to, uh, be in a lot of different places with your own freedom. Uh, the thing is, you'll eventually learn, you might already know that, but your accent is different. But in US, it makes us exotic as well.
Yeah. Yeah. Right. And eventually, when people get to know you, like, I'll, I'll agree with what you're saying, and let me add a different perspective. The reason I, so I, I lived in Philadelphia, close to New York, and Virginia, and Maryland. One of the, Ohio is cold and gray, and it's very bland. Uh, one of the reasons I like it because I'm the only, I'm very few of the diversity. Do you understand? So, it...
Yeah. What happened to me when I came to Philadelphia? I was trying for to look for dental jobs, and I would go in offices, and I would say, "Can I shadow?" And they said, "We can't let you shadow." And these were Indian, Pakistani doctors. They were saying, "We can't let you shadow because of HIPAA." And I'm like, "I just want to stand and see the doc how he's doing." They're like, "Nope, you can't." I was like, "Okay." Then I came to Ohio, and I went to an office, and I knocked, and I said, "Hey, I'm a foreign trained." The office manager got so happy. She ran to the back. She called the doctor that, "There is a doctor from foreign trained, like he's from Pakistan, and he's to see what you." And I were like, "Okay, people are very easy and approachable up here." So, that's when it was. And obviously, my world is different as a man. Your world would be different. You're coming from Turkey, I'm coming from Pakistan. There will always be differences. But for me, it was like, "Okay, people are far more approachable in smaller town America."
I agree. Yeah.
And it's so, from that perspective, I started to look into kind of like loopholes. I would say it's a loophole. Uh, but let's put that discussion on the side. We can have that's a longer discussion we can have. But now, people coming back to CAPID. Now, what's your advice to people who are applying? And we were talking about Turks. Now, what about people who are randomly applying, who are living in New York, who have tried two years and have still not gotten accepted? They are discouraged. It's a lot of money. You, you must, you already said, like, you must have spent about $20, $30,000 on different things, bench courses, paying people like me for services, applying to schools, going, taking tickets, all of that. So, now imagine, what advice would you give to those people who are right now watching you?
Well, I would say, just, um, just be yourself. Just reflect your inner thoughts. Just be genuine because people try to just copy the pre-written things, or they just try to, uh, find shortcuts. No, I think they should reflect their own experiences and they try to write everything. They should be brief. People don't have a lot of time, especially we have, we're living in an AI and screen age, right? No one just sits and reads for half an hour a long resume. No, they just want everything to be brief. They just want to see like, check marks, you know, they don't have a lot of time. Maybe they just spare two, three minutes for the application that you paid thousands of dollars. And these people, of course, it's their job, but they don't have time. Their life is not us. But I think candidates just see that, "Oh, what our schools are looking for?" School, they're, they're just a school. These are humans also. They're just like us. So, think like you. That's what I would say.
Yep. That's true. That, you know why I'm laughing? One of the professors used to say, he was teaching us about sinus, and he said, "The biggest problem with dentists is wherever they see a hole, they want to fill it." Oh, that's true.
Right. So, when they see a paper with 500 characters, they're like, "I want to fill all 500."
That's how dentists are. And what, what Dara is saying, uh, is brevity is the key. Be brief. Be straight to the point. Do not waste other people's time. That's disrespectful in America. So, you have to be straight to the point. That's what she's saying. So, well, to be honest, the, it's been an honor talking to a pro professor like you. You know, when I'm, usually I don't usually I don't do much discussions with, with, um, my CAPID people, or I'm usually listening. But, uh, I think I was learning a lot from you like while discussing because of your experiences, because you're not somebody who's just a dentist, but you went through this process of prostho, and then doing this PhD is one thing, but teaching in itself, and then coming to US and taking that dip. I think it, it made you into a different person comparatively. I haven't, I haven't met you in 2021, but I can see that that transition because you're amongst the few people I've talked to who talk more about experience rather than their credentials or degrees or blah, blah, blah, or resume. And that's the one of the biggest, I think, uh, that's kind of like a crown somebody can wear when they speak more about their experiences rather than their titles. And when, when I talk to people, and when I can see they are focused on their experiences and learning, they have a different, like, they are at a different level of life. So, I, I'm, I'm actually, I'm happy that you were somebody who used to teach and you went through this learning, and when I'm talking to you, I can sense that that you've gone through your experiences and you learned from them. Most of us, we go through tough times, but we never learn from them. I've made that mistake. So, I think it's a very smart thing if you learned out of those experiences. Going to reward you a lot in your dental school and afterward as well.
In life, not just school.
Yep. I told myself, it's a life experience, not just school. You should learn from it.
That's good. Yeah. And I think one of the biggest thing people who are listening, I think Dr. Dara's success has been her experiences. It didn't happen. It's not an event, if you ask me as a bystander. It's, it's not an event. It's been a journey going through, like, I can now imagine if she was a postgrad pro faculty, and now she has wiping chairs, and a 20-year-old TA is telling you, "You're not taking the X-ray right," or "Do it faster," or "Your temp crowns are not good enough," and you're like thinking, "Back in my world, you wouldn't even exist." But you have to take all of that crap, and we go through it, and surviving it. I think that's the, the going through that tough time has given her the confidence which attracted those 10 invites. So, if you're somebody who's going through a crappy stage and doing all kind of weird jobs, understand that people like her, I did it in back in my days as well. This is what makes success up here. US is all, that's how whoever made it, this is how it's made. So, be persistent with that. Okay, before I keep speaking a lot, I want to say thank you, ma'am. Thank you for your time. Any last word of advice you want to tell people or something before we end this call?
Yeah, I see people, they feel stressed a lot. They see dental school is the only solution in life. I just want to say that from the people, all of the applicants, I mean, you did it before. You, you became a dentist, and dental school is not easy all around the world. You can do something else in life. Don't limit your perspective. You're more than that. It's not the end of the world. People say, "If I don't accept it this year, can you help me?" Blah, blah, blah. No, you can help yourself in, in something else. You're living in the US. It offers you multiple opportunities. You don't have to become a dentist. You can do something else.
This, this is, this is making me go into a whole new discussion with you. You know, I, what you just said is the essence of America is being an entrepreneur, being a problem solver.
Most dentists are so much, we are, we are trained in a very myopic way. We look things in very small ways, like in small cavities, everything small, microscopic. So, we say, "Either I'm a dentist or I'm nothing." And that's the thing I hate about most of the doctors is like, "Oh, you're so boring because if I take away your degree, you don't have anything in you. You don't have a personality. You don't have a life. All you talk about is teeth or your medical or or your studies." And that's what you're saying, like, if you can't make success one way, remember that success lies within you, and you're in the land of opportunities. Do something else and create success. Right? Correct me if I'm wrong.
No, it's true. And immigration is a kind of entrepreneurship, actually. So, if you immigrate to another country, you can do something else.
True. True. Maybe in future, I can ask you to have a, I might ask you to teach people about entrepreneurship because that's what you gave a very, I've been thinking.
I hope I manage it one day. I hope I will.
Well, you had the mindset because it's all about being a problem solver. When I, I'm sorry, I'm, I'm going to tell you one thing, like I was thinking back a couple of years, if I want to do a postgrad in US, and I was like, "I am turning 32. If I go for a postgrad, it's going to be four to six years of my time, and then I come out." And now I realize, you can be a lab tech, you can be a dentist, you can be a hygienist, you can be whatever you are. If you find a problem in US and solve it, you will make money. If things are going very slow, you make, realize how to make it faster, and you will make money. And US doesn't care you if you're a specialist, you're a dentist, you're a lab tech, you're a hygienist. As long as you're a problem solver, you can become the next Elon Musk. That's how US works.
But, uh, okay, let's, I hope CAPID people stick to CAPID and they do what they want to do. But, uh, thank you for your time, Dr. Dara. It was a wonderful time discussing with you.
Thank you for the invite. Thank you.
Sure. You take care, Doc. We'll talk to you more.
Yes, sir.
Thank you.
Thank you.