Chronicle Five –  Am I there yet?

Lots of chattering in a big auditorium. I stepped in with an anxious look. The place could easily seat four hundred people. This was supposed to be my class room for the next three years. I was one among the three hundred and fifty students in the class of 2011 DDS program. I could see a lot of people but they all looked same, but different. They were all in the same boat as I was- heading determined towards a DDS degree. But they were all different- from different countries, races and color. Some were older than others- way older!

I had enrolled into the program inspite of the fact that I was a new mom. I missed my son but I had a career to pursue as well. Juggling the program and a baby was extremely challenging. Supportive parents and spouse made my life manageable. While the whole time I was thinking all about myself, I got to meet my new colleagues from different places in the next few days. Each one had a story, an ambition, a journey….

Many of my friends and collegues were new parents just like me and they had travelled hundreds of miles to get into this program. Separated from family and friends, they had to make a new life in a strange land. They had to leave their young children behind with their spouses or parents only to call them once a week or video chat once a week. Each one had to make financial arrangements to reach this far- all for one hope “provide better for their family with better education.” Isn’t that every immigrant’s dream?

While I was getting to know new people around my age, I noticed a few people who looked like professors but were wearing student coats. I spotted one of them and headed to introduce myself. He was a middle-aged Indian dentist with a successful practice in the middle east. He also had a ten year experience after graduating BDS. Right next to him was another older dentist from Nigeria. He also had a successful practice in his home country. Chatting with them was an older woman dentist from India who had taken a break from her career to raise a family.  Well, after a decade of practice, work experience and no experience in case of the woman dentist, why would anybody want to do schooling again! Simply perplexed, I asked why they were doing this program at this age. The Indian dentist wanted more education and better living for his family. The Nigerian dentist wanted to get back home with this education to serve his people. The lady wanted to get back to her career that she had long desired. She wanted to spend the next decade for herself as she had spent the last exclusively for her family. Imagine there were three hundred and fifty students in my class and these were just three people that I mentioned.

Listening to their stories and challenges they had faced to come so far, I felt all the differences melt away. We were after all the same. We were all here for a better future. A better us, a better family, a better living. My challenges seemed to look small. Life after BDS may be challenging but there is more to it than just that. The planning of what to do for a future, gathering resources and above all being determined and hopeful have brought many together here. I am sure many of you out there have different stories to share. But for many who are still looking forward to a different life after BDS, remain positive and hopeful. Age is not a factor for success. You can pursue good education and better prospects whenever you are ready. Planning ahead and aiming for the better, leads to a successful career.

Dr Meenakshi Umapathy is a General Dentist who graduated from India. She moved to the USA and completed her DDS from New York University College of Dentistry. She is currently practicing General Dentistry for Kids in Indiana. She shares her stories about dentistry in India and the US through her narratives at the DentistryUnited every Saturday

Disclaimer : The views expressed in this blog are solely the views of the author and need not reflect the views of DentistryUnited.com . For any clarification you can get in touch with the author directly at the address mentioned above.