When Dentistry Finds You

Daria Borisova's parents always wanted her to be a lawyer. But life presented her with another possibility: dentistry. When her mother got into a car accident, she saw an oral maxillofacial surgeon erase all the signs of the event from her face.

"This inspired me," she said, adding that she also liked that dentistry combined hand skills with critical thinking to make the correct decision.

While pursuing her dental degree at Russia's oldest medical school, the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, she discovered her real passion was in pediatric dentistry rather than oral maxillofacial surgery. She loved treating children and special needs patients. She enjoyed spending time with them to gain their trust and make them feel comfortable on the dental chair. She graduated with a Red Diploma, the highest honors in Russia, and began her pediatric dentistry residency at Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry. She then went on to private practice.

Life took another turn in 2021 when she had to move to the United States for political reasons. But she had no intention of leaving her career behind. Immediately upon arriving, she started looking into dental programs to get her license in the US. She set up her own dental simulation lab with a compressor and all to do preclinical exercises at home. She also worked as a dental assistant in a pediatric clinic in California. "What I liked was that the doctor shared some responsibility, so I didn't forget hand skills while preparing and going to school." Soon after, she received her acceptance letter to Rutgers School of Dental Medicine's (RSDM) Internationally Educated DMD Program, specially designed for students like her who had received their dental training abroad.

"Especially for me as someone who already had some experience, it was really important to find a school where I can grow as a clinician," she said. "I chose Rutgers because even before I applied to school, I've heard a lot of stories about how there's a very good clinical experience."

She switched coasts to find a supportive environment that affirmed her decision. In Russia, she explained, the curriculum was more focused on theoretical skills, and teaching was top-down rather than hands-on. "If you couldn't do something, [faculty] could come and do that for you [in Russia]. But here, they expect us to learn from our mistakes, take a step back and fix them. Professors say we are here to help you, and I really love that." She has also been enjoying stepping back into general dentistry. She has been seeing patients through RSDM's special programs, including the Vet Smiles Program and the Holocaust Survivor Program.

"I really love this experience," she said, "and understand that the world of dentistry is broader than having interactions with children because others need the same kind of compassion."