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My Journey in Dentistry as an International Dental Student
The going was rough at the beginning, but organized dentistry provided me with the support I needed to succeed.
Ioanna Mentzelopoulou, D.D.S.
I have been fortunate in my career and in my life. I immigrated to the United States from Greece to study as an international student. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I continued my studies at NYU College of Dentistry. Being an international dental student was not easy. I had to manage a vigorous curriculum while away from family and lacking any support.
At NYU, I stood out as a female and because of my accent. At the time, there were only two international students in the regular program, and the teachers would confuse me thinking I was already a dentist in my country and that I should know how to prepare a tooth for a crown or do an amalgam filling. I had to explain every time that I had no clue.
My accent made things even more difficult. Sometimes, people had a hard time understanding what I was saying or, in general, I could not understand the jokes or the references due to cultural differences. However, I had the drive to succeed, and I was able to graduate and obtain my dental degree.
What I was not expecting was learning that my degree was not enough to obtain a dental license so I could practice. I was surprised by how complicated the process was to get a dental license due to immigration restrictions by state or lack of credential portability within the United States.
I was disappointed at the time, because I had gone through the same program in dental school as everyone else, yet I could not be as successful as everyone else in my chosen profession. That was when I turned to organized dentistry for answers, and I have been grateful for the support of my colleagues ever since. Because of efforts by the Dental Association, a pathway was created to enable students like me to get a license and practice dentistry in New York State.
I believe that efforts at the local, state and national levels can make the beginning of the dental career of a young graduate easier by helping them obtain a license faster and move within the country easier. Currently, there are more discussions taking place about the need for a unified license exam and ease of portability in the country for currently licensed dentists and international students and colleagues. I applaud the ADA for listening to student members and making serious efforts to create an easier beginning to their dental career journey.
As for me, I am lucky to be working as a dentist for all these years in a city that I love. I am grateful to organized dentistry, which helped to make my American dream come true.
Editor’s Note: After receiving a D.D.S. degree from NYU, Dr. Mentzelopoulou went on to complete a general practice residency at Woodhull Medical Center, Brooklyn, and received a certificate in pediatric dentistry from Interfaith Medical Center, Brooklyn. She is engaged in private practice at Pediatric Dental Associates of Manhattan. She is past president of the New York County Dental Society and currently serves on the NYCDS Board and on the Give Kids A Smile Steering Committee. She is chair of the NYSDA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force and a member of the ADA Strategic Forecasting Committee. Dr. Mentzelopoulou has further extended herself by volunteering to provide free dental work to homeless children in New York City and participating in Operation Backpack, organizing bags full of essentials to be sent to refugee children arriving on the Greek island of Lesvos.
