In this day and age, the occupation of dentistry is continuing to grow. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), projects that the employment of dentists will grow faster than the average of all other occupations through 2028. With this being said, succeeding in the dental field comes if much dedication for it is very competitive. Becoming a dentist comes with many rewards but getting it is not always easy. For one man, his journey was quite a hard one.

Dr. Abhishek Patel was born and raised in India. There he went through dental school. Once he moved to the United States he then again went through dental school all over again. In the United States, he attended Boston University for undergraduate and dental school. He now is co-owner of Quakertown Dental Office in Quakertown, PA. His journey was quite different than many dentists but that is what makes him unique in the field. Dr. Patel had his dental plans all planned out way in advance which really put him up for success. “When I came to the United States, I had planned my schooling over a year in advance,” said Patel. This allowed him to be secure and get the best possible education.

A normal day for Dr. Patel as a foreign dentist is pretty similar to others with performing extractions, crowns, fillings, implants and helping emergency patients, but he has a gift because he can speak a language other than English. This allows him to accommodate many of his patients that are also from his culture. Watching how he interacts with these patients is quite interesting to hear with an “English only ear”. 

From growing up in India and getting through dental school there, to coming all the way to the United States and going through dental school again, his career is quite different from others. This makes working with him interesting as well because he talks about different experiences from India. He is very knowledgeable about the schooling process as well, which is especially helpful for me who aspires to go into the dental field. Seeing every day how interesting being a dentist is and the things Dr. Patel went through to get here sure makes his occupation an interesting one.