By Connor Mcclure ’23
Dr. Sahib Sachdeva graduated from UVM in 2012 from the College of Arts and Sciences with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry and later from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 2017. Dr. Sachdeva now practices dentistry in Ohio.
Dr. Sachdeva’s experience of having braces motivated him to pursue an internship with a local periodontal office. Observing and working with the technicians and dentists in the office inspired him further. Being able to connect this experience with the science classes and material that he was learning at UVM encouraged him to help people in the real world in the form of dental care.
After graduation from UVM, Dr. Sachdeva took a growth year, found employment in a restaurant, and volunteered in health care settings when he could. He said that what he learned from his time volunteering was extremely valuable and supported him in his pursuit of dental school. At Tufts, the education was challenging and rigorous, yet highly rewarding and fun. One of Dr. Sachdeva’s most memorable experiences from dental school was the dissection of a cadaver in an anatomy course. While he said he was grateful for this experience, he is glad he never has to do it again!
For undergraduate students pursuing the path of dentistry or other pre-heath paths, Dr. Sachdeva encourages students to find connections and develop time management skills. Dr. Sachdeva notes that building connections with professors, faculty, TAs, and fellow students are extremely important in building your network and connections. He also strongly encourages students interested in the pre-dental path to reach out to local dental offices to establish connections, as well as potentially volunteering or interning with their office. Most importantly, he suggests, is to make sure to take care of yourself. He found physical activity, traveling, music, and using his support network of peers and colleagues to help him throughout the process of become a Dentist.
In terms of his profession as a dentist, Dr. Sachdeva commented on both the challenges are rewards of his job. The most rewarding parts of his job are helping patients to be comfortable in the dental environment and his favorite procedure is fixing a chipped tooth. As a dentist, Dr. Sachdeva feels it is very important to work with his team to put the patient first and meet their needs. In the conclusion of our interview, Dr. Sachdeva emphasized that as health care providers and students, it is important to take time to care for yourself, practice your hobbies, and find what interests you.