Shoot to Drill: RSDM student trades photography for dentistry

RSDM student Michael Mohr.

Dentists and photographers have one thing in common: Not everyone wants to open up to them.

As someone who’s worked with both a camera and a handpiece, RSDM student Michael Mohr knows that the greatest challenge in either profession is building trust.

“You have to break down barriers in order to get someone to feel comfortable in front of a camera,’’ says Mohr. “Many people are afraid of dentists. In both fields, you have to figure out how to interact with all sorts of people and help them forget their fears and inhibitions.”

Before enrolling at RSDM, Mohr was a professional photographer whose work has been published in both National Geographic and the New York Times. But by the late 2000s, many print publications began to fold and Mohr, a photo editor at Budget Travel magazine, was looking for a more stable career.

After an injury to his jaw resulted in long-term dental treatment, he began to consider dentistry. “Going into the operatory in pain and walking out feeling improved made me appreciate the care physicians, particularly dentists, provide,’’ says Mohr, a fourth-year student who grew up in New Orleans.

He applied to a few dental schools, but RSDM stood out from the rest. “The administration was so friendly,’’ he says. “They were interested in academics but also very interested in life experience. At many schools it seems people are only evaluated on their credentials, but that’s not the case here. I will always respect this school for giving me a chance.’’

After graduation, Mohr plans to do a general practice residency for a year and then work at a private general practice in Manhattan. Although he doesn’t plan on giving up photography, he says that in many ways, dentistry is more rewarding.

“This is cheesy, but I just like the experience of someone walking out with a smile,’’ he says. “They come in in pain, sometimes they hate dentists, but you can make it better. You can impact the world with photography but that’s very rare. On a daily basis I can impact my community by helping people.’’

Michael Mohr's photo of mountain climbers in Ethiopia, published in National Geographic.