Once you graduated from dentistry ,Was your plan to always go down the maxillofacial route?
Honestly I didnt see myself as a surgeon and envisioned myself more of a physician.
Why did you decide to do your masters as soon as you completed dentistry?
​
Growing up in Bahrain, I viewed dentists to have as much knowledge as a doctor so I wasnt well prepared to understand the pathway that dental school led me to. In fact, it was an year after I graduated that in the UK dentists were allowed to have the Dr title whereas before that, they would just be called Mr/Mrs.
At that point fillings and crowns werent giving me the satisfaction I was looking for- NOT that there is anything wrong with that- it does take a special skill and art to be able to do dentistry but I was really passionate about the medicine side of things.
How was your transition between dental and medical school?
​
I did my masters in oral medicine and had decided to take up a job in the north-east of England- Godwillingly, I fell under the wing of maxillofacial surgeons and I really started to enjoy the medicine side of things. It was then I knew that I wasn't really interested in doing oral medicine anymore.
What was medical school like?
I really enjoyed it a second time around and I had the SpR job that reduced 1.5 years of my maxillofacial training so it was really rewarding.
I think you are at the best position to answer the old debate of medicine vs dentistry, which one did you find harder?
Hands down for me it was dental school- I had started dentistry in a new country and it was the first time I was learning in 100% in English. I also had a change in paradigm on the way that I studied. Whereas with medical school, I had job in maxfac and it was relatively easy especially because I had done dental school so I had the foundation knowledge.
It was more fun the second time around because you are not stressed at work as you are supervised and there is no real life and death situations on your hand.
You said that you had a major paradigm shift in your studying technique, what studying tips would you share with our students ?
For me, mind mapping really helped and I think it is really important to spread out your studying so that you dont have to end up cramming last minute.
I also ended up depending on question and answer and absorbing as much as possible from the lectures. I then reinforced my knowledge with practice.
I think the best way for you to recall learning would be consolidate it with practice surgically or witnessing the procedure.
How would you say dental or medical school prepared you for life as a maxillofacial surgeon?
I started of as a 5th year dental student where the worst thing I could have done is expose the pulp of a patient and at that point there is hysteria and panic within the team to get the RCT kit and treat the patient.