This week, we had a big audience for our two speakers, Dr Suzannah Miller and Dr Mo Dujaili. They put smiles on our dials by sharing their career journeys in dentistry and orthodontics. Their pathways were very different, which showed our students that not everyone takes an identical route into these professions.

Graduating in 2000, Suzannah took a gap year and then decided to follow her strength in science subjects. She enrolled in the highly competitive Health Science First Year (HSFY) at the University of Otago. She was offered a place (after a brief stint on the wait list) in the Dentistry programme the following year. This was a fantastic achievement; in her cohort, only about 60 from around 2,000 HSFY students were accepted into Dentistry.

Mo took a less direct route, changing degrees before entering HSFY (which he said was the hardest year of the ten he spent at university) and stumbling at the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) – an important step in securing a place at Otago’s Dentistry school. Changing direction, he spent two years studying Physiotherapy in Australia before trying Dentistry again, this time passing the UCAT, deferring Physio, and finally embarking on his Bachelor of Dental Surgery. He then chose to specialise in orthodontics and now shares a practice with his wife in Smales Farm. His message for students: “Be persistent – Year 13 isn’t the end mark. There are multiple ways of getting there if you are resilient and determined.”

Suzannah took pains to emphasise what an excellent career dentistry can be for a woman. It pays well, meaning you can earn a good income without working exorbitant hours and have time for your family and friends. She has remained on part-time hours since having her children and loves the work-life balance.

However, she also reminded students that it can be a high-stress job – you are literally “wielding power tools in someone’s mouth” – and you have to be kind and empathetic, as patients often come in with a lot of anxiety. Suzannah is studying further to become a paediatric dentist, often working with high-needs children who need special care and careful communication. Strong interpersonal skills are vital.

There are many workplaces and pathways within dentistry: you can work in a private practice or a hospital, and prisons and the defence forces also employ dentists. You can hone your surgical skills in a hospital placement, do more training to specialise, or go overseas to practice. Specialisations include orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics and prosthodontics. No matter what you specialise in, your skills will be in demand, as there is a shortage of New Zealand-trained dentists.

While Dentistry is a challenging and competitive academic pathway (currently, around 90 students get Dentistry places out of 2,800 HSFY students), it offers a fulfilling, flexible and stimulating career. Both our guests were enthusiastic spokespeople for their profession and gave our students plenty of information to chew over.