Secure Dental_Anabella Oquendo & Candy Tobar & Ryan St. Germain: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Welcome to the Secure Dental Podcast. Through conversations with the brightest minds in the dental and business communities, we'll share practical tips you can use to scale your practice and create financial freedom for yourself and your family. My name is Dr. Noel Liu, CEO and Dentist at Secure Dental, and also co-founder of DentVia. I'm your host for the Secure Dental podcast, and I'm so glad you're joining in.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of our Secure Dental podcast, where we bring in many different talents from both inside and outside our dental industry. And today we are joined by none other than my alma mater from NYU College of Dentistry. We have special guests here, which I'm going to be naming in a little bit. But before we get started, just a quick shout out to our sponsor, DentVia. It's a dental virtual dental administration company that administered all the back-end staffing and all the back-end work. So with that being said, we're going to jump straight in because we do not want to miss any of this stuff that these guys are going to share with us. So starting this morning here we have Dr. Anabella Oquendo, assistant dean for international programs and program director of the Advanced Program for International Dentists and Aesthetic Dentistry. Now next we have Ryan St. Germain. This guy has been on our pod last time. He is like the back-end workhorse for the deans and the entire college; Executive Director, Development and Alumni Relations at NYU College of Dentistry. And now we got lastly, but not the least, Candy Tobar, my favorite. Candy, Alumni Relations at NYU College of Dentistry. And it's because of her that she got me to the school and got my relationship back with NYU College of Dentistry. So without further ado, we're going to pass the mic off to Dr. Anabella first. But before we do that, we just want to highlight about this podcast. So the title of this podcast is The Importance and Impact of a Fellowship Program in The World of Dentistry. And with that being said, Dr. Oquendo, let's start with you; just a brief background about you. And what does that title mean for you?
Anabella Oquendo:
Fantastic. First of all, I want to say thank you for having us here. It's such a pleasure. And I have to say, Candy, if you were the one that brought him back, thank you for that, because he's making really a big impact in the school and our program. So thank you for that one, Candy. And well, I'm happy to tell you, you want me to start about my role or where I'm coming from?
Dr. Noel Liu:
Let's start how you got into dentistry. And then, we'll slowly transition to that title of this podcast, right? Like the fellowship program and how we ended up over here. Like what got you into dentistry? First, let's start with that. Nice and easy.
Anabella Oquendo:
What got me to dentistry? Well, you know that I always wanted to be part of healthcare. Even as a kid, I used to go to hospitals or to my dental appointments and seeing the healthcare providers taking care of people, I felt a deep connection there. I knew I somehow I was going to be part of that. And as I refined my vision, I decided to go with dentistry. And I'm so passionate about dentistry. I think I made such a right decision. Right? It was the right choice. And I did my dentistry back in my country. I'm from Venezuela. And I practiced for about five years, but I kept dreaming of doing something bigger. Like I want to make a big change. I want to really make meaningful impact. So I packed those dreams, and I came to New York City. And I came to NYU College of Dentistry to make those dreams a reality. And I enrolled in the advanced program. It's now called Apa Advanced Clinical Fellowship for Aesthetic Dentistry. And I enrolled in this program. And it was not just about learning how to make beautiful smiles and restore the patient's confidence and joy; it was really about transforming life, including my own. And all of that was alongside the most fantastic mentors because if we had something here in NYU College of Dentistry is great mentors. And I learned back then the importance of a mentor is huge; having a mentor. Right? They really guide us, they shape us, they help us reach our full potential. And on the top of that, I also learned the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded people, driven people to really be able to create big change. So in summary, my journey brought me to New York to NYU College of Dentistry, from being an international student to a faculty to program director of the program that gave me so much, and it was a way to give back to the students and give back to the dentistry, the community. And now I have a wider role, more like leadership as one of the deans of the school and the assistant dean for the international programs. And within that umbrella, do you want me to tell you what I do within the school now?
Dr. Noel Liu:
Yeah, absolutely. So how much time did you spend from the time when you were a student at NYU and then where are you now today? And then we can jump right into your role.
Anabella Oquendo:
That that's a good question. It was quite a journey. International student that was ... for two years, and right after I became a faculty. And after two years, three years after that, I became a program director of the study program. And it's almost four years now that I'm the assistant dean for the Office of International Programs.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Excellent. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing that. So what is your role currently now and how has it transpired like from what you did in the past and to what you're doing today?
Anabella Oquendo:
Okay. So I continue to be the director of the Apa Advanced Clinical Fellowship in Aesthetics. That's like my baby. I'm really focused on elevating the standards of that program and creating meaningful impact for both patients and students in the program, incorporating technology and always elevating what we do. No year is the same as the other one. There is always bigger, better, every year. And with the Dean role, I oversee now not just aesthetics, but all the advanced clinical fellowships. With that, we have the aesthetic program, digital dentistry, we have oral surgery, and our beloved Liu Advanced Clinical Fellowship for Implant Dentistry.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Love it.
Anabella Oquendo:
Thank you for everything you've done for that program. That program is excellent. It's two years, and they learn the prosthetics, and they learn the surgery. It's unbelievable program. And in part, it's because of you. So thank you for that one.
Dr. Noel Liu:
It's a team effort, and I love to be part of it. Absolutely.
Anabella Oquendo:
Great. And with that it's not just about aesthetics now. It's about touching every corner of our profession as I oversee all these different programs. And I made sure that the way we train our students and the way they learn is in an interdisciplinary approach. We have every corner of the profession among this program, so it's very comprehensive and very interdisciplinary. And the other piece that I do within the deanship is Global Outreach. So Global Outreach is a program where we bring care to communities in need, underserved communities. And at the same time, as we implement prevention systems, and we restore restores smiles, and we help people, at the same time, we're training the next leaders to take action and to lead with compassion. And we pass the baton, right? So this is also a beautiful program because it brings hope, and it makes a tangible difference to the people that need it the most. And whether it's international programs, advanced clinical fellowships, or global outreach, I always made sure that the education is exceptional, that we elevate dentistry, we elevate the life of our students and our patients, and we make meaningful impact, and always giving them and exposing them to great opportunities.
Dr. Noel Liu:
That's absolutely right, because from some of the students, feedback that we got was most of the times when they are actually doing a procedure, they are really into it, and they understand all from a research point of view, and they also understand from a practical point of view. So what this program is doing is it's creating the next generation of leaders and also in there, that's going to impact the world of dentistry. Which brings me back to this title here, right, of this podcast today: The Importance and Impact of a Fellowship in The World of Dentistry. From Ryan's perspective, what does that mean to you and how is the school preparing these students to go out there in the real world and get some of this leadership and like getting the whole gamut of what we're doing at NYU? How are they affecting dentistry as a whole?
Anabella Oquendo:
I'm particularly passionate about that poem, by the way, because forever, dentistry was all about the clinical skills that define us, right? The perfect margin. And it was all about being a clinician and the clinical skills. And honestly, to be successful in dentistry, that's just a part of the puzzle. We need to wear all these many hats. And one of the greatest things about our fellowship is that we do exceptional clinical training, incorporating technology and interdisciplinary approach. That's a guarantee; that's a given. You're going to get your clinical training. But we shape these well-rounded individuals so that they are capable of wearing all these many hats they need. So when it comes to leadership, big-time training, leading with purpose; business, to understand the business, how to run the business, what is that we do. Right now, we just launched, and actually, with the help of Ryan, I got connected to our entrepreneurial, Entrepreneurship Institute in the school, and I'm running a course for Lean Startup for the students. And we have workshops. We help them understand, find a problem, create a solution, what is your value proposition, and the Lean Startup concept. And they are creating amazing things. And we are conducting like a Shark Tank type of contest at the end, where they are going to present us all their ideas, all their products. And who knows? Maybe from then, they get a sponsor and they create something great. But that's a tiny example. So the leadership skill, the communication skills, even incorporating high-performance habits in their life, I'm very particular about that. Right? And that wellness aspect. We want to be healthy; your mind, your body; and all of that get connected. And that's what we're training. We're training these well-rounded individuals that are going to be the future leaders of the profession; all the heads they have to wear, not just the clinical hat.
Dr. Noel Liu:
That's awesome, I love it. And so jumping it to you, Ryan, from your perspective.
Ryan St. Germain:
Dr. Oquendo, obviously, as our leader in front of these students every day, her and her faculty and the amazing job they do, I think she's spot on. Our programs are so differentiated. And these fellowships are so differentiated not necessarily because of the hand skills they're learning. Right? If you're going to be an English major, you can be an English major at a community college, or you can be an English major at Harvard. It's still Shakespeare, right? Like the basics are going to be the basics, but what is that expertise and what is that global knowledge and impact and reach that you can have by going to that institution that is different, that I would argue is better, but that really has that commitment to having those demarcations of difference. And I think the leaning into leadership, the importance of mentorship, the community aspect, both domestically and certainly globally, make us comparable to no other institution of education within the world. And harder to argue, but certainly not within the country. And I think these programs and the opportunities that these students and our fellows are offered are incomparable. And then the compliments continue, because you still have to be then the type of student to take advantage, right? Just us offering the opportunities. Not enough, but identifying, and accepting, and admitting the correct student from the start has to lay that groundwork. Because if they're not self-identifying, either they already know it, or folks like Dr. Oquendo can see it in them. Sometimes, they don't know it yet, but we can draw it out of them and really help them develop into that full person so that they do have a fulfilling career, but that they have a fulfilling life because those are the people like yourself, Dr. Liu, that are able to come back and make an impact. If they don't have that completeness, wholeness of self, then they're not out in the world doing that. And I think that's something we're real proud of.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Well, that's great because there's these challenges when anybody, especially students, when we come out of school, when I say we meaning like my own self when I graduated, we are not so well-versed with startups; we are not so well-versed with entrepreneurship. And what we do is we start learning from the school of hard knocks. Right? Make mistakes, trial and error till you get it right. And sometimes, it's so devastating that we can't even get up. So what you've implemented in this program, I think it's tenfold. So with that being said, what was something that you found in students? Like did you see something in them, or did you hear feedbacks from past students that you wanted to get this implemented, this entrepreneurship, Dr. Oquendo?
Anabella Oquendo:
Okay. Several venues really. One is to see all the great things our alumni was doing. We have such a strong alumni network around the world, and they are becoming they're leaders in their countries. So one is to see the potential of our students, what they were achieving with our training here once they went out to the real world. That was one. And second, as I keep connecting the dots, when it comes to education, and incorporating all this well-rounded type of training and individual, I realized that entrepreneurship is one of them. It's not just being a leader; it's also understanding all these concepts. Even if they just want to open their practice, you know better than anybody, Dr. Liu, you need so much knowledge beyond the preparation of a margin or extracting a tooth, placing an implant. So I think that was the motivation there. And their success is always my success. And the fact that I was a student in the program give me a lot of insight, understanding how they feel, what the program did for me, and all the opportunities, all the doors that open up, and wanting to do the same for them, and feel that responsibility of giving back, I think is the reason why.
Dr. Noel Liu:
I love it. So let's dive a little bit into the fellowship program. How many different components are there, different specialties in this fellowship?
Anabella Oquendo:
Okay. We have four main programs. The aesthetic program. We have aesthetics focused on the restorative aspect, and aesthetics is the program where we do a lot of treatment planning; is that blueprint what is best for each patient and understanding all the specialties and understanding how we can collaborate to help the patient to get that ideal smile; not just from the beauty side of things, but also function, biology, health, all of that. So that's aesthetics. Then we have oral surgery. They focus more on the surgical aspect of placing implants and other type of surgeries. Then we have operative and digital dentistry. This is also a purely restorative program. And we have all the toys you can imagine in this world. Everything is done digitally, and is general dentistry; and all digital to a point that we are early adopters or of a mojo. Mojo is basically like a digital articulator, so the students can do everything digital from the beginning to the end. And then we have Loop, the Loop Advanced Clinical Fellowship in Implant Dentistry. That program is excellent. And I'm going to tell you why.
Dr. Noel Liu:
It's a great program.
Anabella Oquendo:
Excellent. Because you have both the Stewart, you're doing everything, the surgical part and also your restoring. That's why it's a two-year program. The training is very complete and very intense. And they do a lot of research. I know you mentioned research before, and they go out to different meetings. They present. We do a lot of public speaking in these programs. We teach them the art of storytelling and communication skills. So they spend the whole year learning how to do public speaking. And then we take them out. We expose them in different meetings to present.
Dr. Noel Liu:
That'd be great, because I have one of my interns from our organization that just joined the program as well. And I told her, Just be prepared. She's really introvert, really shy. And I was like, You will change. Just go with the program. And is this true that this is the only program that's two years? The rest of the fellowships are one year, right?
Anabella Oquendo:
Yes, implants is two years. The rest of them is a year program.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Good deal. So how has this fellowship program impacted dentists domestically? I know we keep calling it international. Is this something which, is it for a regular, I call it regular, like local?
Anabella Oquendo:
It's really, I really like, I'm going to say it's really transformative. These programs are transformative. And let me wear for a second my alumni hat. And as I said at the beginning, for me, it was really a transformation. From international student to one of the deans at NYU dentistry, it feels surreal to think of this journey, and I feel so much pride. And when I think about it, it's all about the institution. It's the power of this institution, all the support, all the opportunities, and the doors that open up. So really, I'm telling you this as an alumni based on my own experience. But when I see all the students is transformative. Whether you are domestic or you are international, the clinical training they get is excellent. You know that in our school we see a day thousand or thousand and 100 patients per day, a total of 300,000 patients. So imagine the amount of exposure they get. So the clinical training is top. We also incorporate a lot of technology the top of the top, right? So incorporating technology, always elevating standards. And as I said before, it's a must; that interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach to dentistry. We collaborate and we all learn from each other. But also, as I mentioned, it's not just that; it's creating and shaping these future leaders. That's also very impactful. When you graduate from these programs and you feel comfortable leading your staff, leading your office, interviewing people, communicating and understanding about business, being an entrepreneur, all of that, of course, makes a huge impact. And if you are an international student, that allows you to take all this knowledge and all this innovation back to your country and make a difference and an impact there. And we are so connected as an alumni, that you get support and help no matter where you are. As I said before, our alumni are doing wonderful things. And no matter what year, if you are one generation or the other one, what you do, your graduation was. The minute you connect to alum together, that's powerful. It's a lot of support. No matter where in the world you are. So as an international student, you also are able to bridge, you know, this global evolution and elevation of dentistry and bring all that back to your country and feel supported by all the networks that we can provide and we have all around the world.
Dr. Noel Liu:
So this program is for everybody, like even from United States, from international, they don't have to have a DDS degree. Correct?
Anabella Oquendo:
They do have to have a DD. They have to be dentists.
Dr. Noel Liu:
I mean. DDS from United States, that can be from anywhere in the world.
Anabella Oquendo:
Correct. You are correct. International dentists and domestic dentists, they come together in this program.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Perfect. So, Ryan and Candy, what are you guys doing in terms of exploring the community outside beyond New York? And what is it some of the steps that you guys are doing in terms of getting this program out and making people aware?
Ryan St. Germain:
Great question. And I think, again, to Dr. Oquendo's point and yours, Dr. Liu, you quipped, having met some of our grads and some of them that work with you now from specifically from the program, that their education and the curriculum that they go through puts them, what, 5 to 10 years into their career already for the amount of exposure and expertise. So even if you look at the program just as time condenser. Right? Can I go out and can I learn this in the school of hard knocks and make those mistakes and figure it out through the cases I might have in my practice over ten years? Absolutely. Or can I do it in a very systematized, no-error in it, and have really clean margins and do it in two years? A lot of people appreciate that efficiency to accelerate their career to that point. And so I think that's really what we're talking about when we're talking about the program to people on the domestic or international side, it's one of the best programs that really merges those two together. And I am a big proponent of those two then individuals, right, those two sides of the coin just make each other better, because their own educational experiences and clinical experiences have differed a little bit. I came from Spain and I learned it this way, and I had a faculty member mentor who really supported this approach. Okay, well, I learned it. And how does that come together? How do we find what the best practice is? And it's because there's more than one opinion at the table. And that diversity of thought I think, really improves it. For us, having identified folks like yourself for two of the programs, it really just added fuel to the fire, right? It's already a great program. And then we throw some jet fuel on there and can take it to new heights, which is great. And so we look for people that are interested in doing the program, and we look for people that maybe have done the program or can just appreciate what it is and support their educational experience, be it through funding for these students to go out and do more of that research, do more of that travel, or calling what it is, it's not inexpensive to do. It's not an inexpensive educational product to offer. So offsetting those costs this time may be particularly on the international side, to allow those folks to come have kind of the best educational experience they can, and lower that economic hurdle a little bit for them. You would agree, Candy?
Candy Tobar:
The only thing I would add to that, spot on, as always, Ryan, but I would say one of the reasons why I think we're very impassioned to speak about these programs, obviously, we have great leaders really running the ship, such as Dr. Oquendo and all of the directors and all of, some of the leaders that have done the program in the past, and just frankly, don't want to leave. That's the one thing that I've noticed about these programs is the people that you're meeting. I think that, I'm going to take it more to the social side of things. I'm not a dentist, like you guys are, but I see the effect that it has socially on these participants, these fellows that come. And every single one of them has noted, yes, it will transform you in a clinical way, but they have noted that they have met their friends for life, that they would have never had the opportunity to meet another dentist from Mexico, from Spain, from Italy, all while doing it at the same time. You're gaining these international friends for life. They have noted that this fellowship not just transformed them on the clinical side, but as a person giving them life experience, being able to live in New York City, they tell me that they will literally never forget this time in their life, and that if they could do it back to back, they would, because they absolutely fell in love with the entire experience. So yes, to what Ryan is saying, absolutely. We're impassioned to reach out because there's such great programs and they're transformative. But I think if we didn't see such a positive review from each person doing the program, we wouldn't do that so easily. It's easy for us to reach out to people and say, Hey, have you learned about this fellowship that NYU is doing? This is a really fun thing for you to consider doing 3 or 4 years out from school. Maybe you're just turning the patient, every patient wheel and you know you need a revamp. You need a new, fresh experience. I think this is a really great opportunity for domestic and international dentists to really rejuvenate their interest in dentistry, gain international friendships, and really just impact their entire lives here, forward. That people have noted that they will never regret doing this program. And so reaching out with such a positive note, we wouldn't have been able to do that if it wasn't such a great experience for them. So that's the only thing I would add is that everybody is absolutely in love with this program.
Dr. Noel Liu:
So I can definitely attest to that, because last week when we had The Midwinter in Chicago, I think one of the fellows from the implant program, he hit me up and he's like, Hey, doc, I'm going to be in Chicago along with us. There are about ten other people, And we are from the athletic program and from the implant program. So I was like, What are you guys doing here? Then he was like, Oh, we're just doing a presentation at the Swiss hotel or something. And they wanted to meet up, but unfortunately I couldn't meet up with them because I was in Tennessee doing our grand opening at that time. So the good part was we had one of the fellows that was actually working with us in our Chicago location, they all met up. And like you said, Candy, like friendship, the bonding. I mean, these guys just went out that night. They met up, and it was, they had a fun time and great time. And that's something to say because in those two years, they just get that bonding with each other, right? And they don't want to leave, like you said. So I can definitely attest to that. There were like, all ten of them, they showed up, and they all had a good time in Chicago. So one other thing from this program, one of our associates is from the implant program too, the good side effect is after completion of two years in this program, they are allowed to apply for licensure in about 14 states, and that has opened opportunities and opened up doors for many of them who are actually contemplating like, Hey, should I do the advanced standing? Should I go to another school? Should I do a restorative at UCLA, or should I do this? And I've noticed, like many of the people who are actually passionate about implants, to go with this program. So the good part is we can get the license. And the better part is, once we get licensed in 1 or 2 states, automatically, they open up more doors for other states. And then after five years, they open up doors for almost every state. So I think this is a really good side effect, I would call it, out of this fellowship program. I'm not sure if you guys were aware of it or not, but, you know, just something I wanted to share.
Candy Tobar:
Opening doors is the name of the game. And if this program not just gave you this invaluable lesson and clinical training, but it's also opening doors for you thereafter, I don't see how much more better it could get than that.
Dr. Noel Liu:
100%. It's an opportunity, right? So we talked about this program here. What is your ambition? What is your goal there, Dr. Oquendo, specifically for your, what's your vision of this fellowship program as in the next one year, in the next five years?
Anabella Oquendo:
Okay. I want to really keep working on connecting the dots. Right? There is one, in particular, that I think is going to be my next fight, and is bringing the mouth back into the body, right? We need to stop looking at ourselves as teeth doctors, but more like oral health physician,s feeling empowered and empowering our students to educate the patients about nutrition, sleep quality, airway, inflammation in the mouth, the correlation of that inflammation and the microbiome with systemic disease like cardiovascular disease, diabetes. ..., we need to bring the mouth back into the body, right? And empower people. And instead of being or being part of a reactive model, more of an inclusive collaboration and holistic approach, where we work with other health care providers to elevate the health of our patients, the whole well-being; we need to be part of that. So that's one of the dots. The second dot I want to keep connecting, as I mentioned, the fact that as dentists, we are, is not just about being a clinician. It's a big deal. It's part, of course, what we need to train students on. But that leadership aspect, that well-rounded individual, keep working on it. I want to keep crafting my experiences, exceptional experiences for them to really incorporate the high-performance habits, all of that in their life, to have a balanced life. It's not just the hard skills; it's the soft skills as well. So, I want to keep connecting the dots in that area. And the third one, I would say technology is rapid. It's accelerated. And I want to embrace technology. And we understand that it's here to help us to be more efficient, to be more predictable. But it's never going to replace the human, right, and the doctor. It's just helping us elevate what we do, and we have to embrace it. We have to understand it. And it's not here to help the ones that are not good at understanding the fundamentals. It's just here to help the ones that are doing the homework and understand the fundamentals. There is a misconception there. Some people say, Oh, technology will get it done for me. No, that's not how it works. So that will be my third, let's say ambition, let's call it ambition, is to continue to incorporate technology and understand how technology AI is here to help us elevate the industry and elevate the life of our students and our patients.
Dr. Noel Liu:
You know, you're so true because a lot of people are actually afraid of AI that's going to replace them. The actual war is not going to be replacement; that's going to be who can use them and utilize them and who's going to be good at using them. So I think that's where the whole game will be. And I love the fact that you said embrace technology, because this is one of those aspects where I feel like if you are not caught up with technology and with the current dynamics of where we're heading in terms of like digital dentistry, we're going to be left behind. And that's the honest truth. So I love that from the clinical side hear from you. The same question for Ryan. I know you have, you wear a lot of hats in the college, right? From the fellowship aspectm, what is your vision for the next one year and the next five years; from the back-end stage, like from the relationship side?
Ryan St. Germain:
Sure, a lot of our role is then support, right? Because we take our cues from Dr. Oquendo and her team and her faculty, and what do we need. And that trickles bottom up. What do the students need, right? What are they identifying on there. So I think if Candy and I had a dream wish list for the next 1 to 5 years, we have very happily named two of the fellowships. We'd love to see a champion come in for the other two. And that would be the Digital Dentistry Advanced Clinical Fellow as well as the oral surgery one. And then for me, the wonderful exclamation point on it. So great. We've named those two. Let's say we name one in the next year. I'll put the other one before the next fifth. I really think the economic barrier and hurdle, specifically for international. Now you could argue the domestic pay the same tuition. So it's not easy for them either. But the economics are really there. Right? Like you can make an informed decision to say, I'm going to increase my compensation and what I'll be earning in a much quicker way. But how can we attract those students that we know would make wonderfully leveraged ripple effect impact in their own communities, bringing these skills and talents back to them, wherever that might be from? And how can we get them here and remove that barrier to entry? What sort of endowed funding can we put into place to say one student a year will be able to take from X community or Y region and really put them in? So instead of having a brain drain and an exodus out of those communities, how many other countries and communities can we help and really plant an NYU flag? I think we have a little bit of responsibility. If we're going to be the best product around, we shouldn't be an unattainable goal for anyone. And we should really work on creating pathways for people to get there. And I think that's something people can get behind.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Love it. Love it. You're right. Because, and I think you are absolutely right, because for many of the international students, it's all of this economy of scale. And like you said, it's not inexpensive. So how do they go about doing it? So I think one of the sort of help would be like the scholarship programs, right? And what else does a school do in terms of getting these students in with financial. Is there any other pathway for them, like let's say, student loans or any of that other stuff which they can look into?
Ryan St. Germain:
For domestic students, yes. Banks are very willing to lend to dental students. Not that dental students are always so enamored with the idea of taking those loans, but banks are very willing to do so because the default rates are basically zero, which at least is a little bit of solace for those dental students taking on those loans because they are paying them back, or the banks wouldn't be so willing to lend. For international, that's not really the case. There aren't what we think of as traditional student loans available to them in the same way; those are really personal or private loans. Obviously, those carry different interest rates. So the economics just really change for them. So the importance of scholarship availability is then increased for them. And I think the larger and more successful our program, the easier it is for us to be in a position to do so. You need to do good by doing well. And I think that's part of one of your own lectures. When you come in and talk to our d-1s, our success then allows us the flexibility to offer that. So I think we're on a mission to be more and most successful in those areas. But I think part of that is that philanthropic aspect to it, both from external, where we're looking for the support and internally, is our mission to then give that.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Excellent, excellent. I think there are many options where people can explore. It's just a matter of making up their mind and getting into the program. And once when you decide, I always believe, once we decide, good things happen. So last question for you, Dr. Oquendo. You are a very busy woman, right? And you do a lot. How do you balance your personal life, work life? What are some of the good and the bad and some of the challenges that you face? And I did learn that you are a mother of a twins. So that's awesome, I love it. How do you take work life and what do you how do you juggle those two, as a mom and as a professional?
Anabella Oquendo:
It's definitely a difficult one. Such an important one. Right? You need a balance. We definitely need a balance, and we have to be intentional about it. That's the trick. You have to be intentional, right? And it's not just about time management. It's about mind management. And I'm a big believer of high-performance habits because they do help you manage a little bit your all the responsibilities. And I'm passionate not just about my work. And of course, I dedicate a lot of my time to improving the programs and education. But it's also about, as you said, my daughters. They are my biggest source of inspiration. And I like to make sure that I'm a role model for them and I allocate enough time, quality time. It's not just time. That's another trick, right? It's not just allocating the time; it's that quality time. You have to be present. You have to be there for them and support them. And that's, honestly, what keeps me grounded, right? What give me purpose is that guidance, that role model to my daughters. And you need to have also time for your habits, your friends. And I love reading. I love self-growth. So I allocate also. I'm very systematic. I think you have to be systematic. Some of my friends joke and say, Your life is like a schedule, but it's the only way that you could be that efficient, right, and that intentional. So I allocate time also for reading. That's one of my hobbies. I love reading, but reading for learning self growth. I read a lot about leader leadership. I always aspire to be the best leader I can for my teams, my admin teams here, my faculties, and my students. So I bring that knowledge. And that reading and that hobby of learning and self-growth give me ideas to craft new experiences for the program and the students, and also wellness. I'm afraid with wellness, and I don't see it as a homework. I approach it with curiosity and joy, with trying to have a balanced mind and a balanced body. And again, being intentional: have a schedule. This is when I'm exercising, and I'm intentional about what I eat, and trying to teach all of that to my daughters. And last, I need to have time to travel. It's part of the deal. Traveling is a hobby for me. Being exposed to new cultures and a different perspective; it gives you so much in building those memories. So I advocate traveling for family trips; friends, to see my friends; and also for work. I do travel a lot in this role. Yeah. I think you need to be systematic. Yeah. You know how hard it is, right?
Dr. Noel Liu:
Absolutely. I'll give it to you for doing that. And also, the other lady in the room is Candy. I mean, she's also got a little one, just about my littlest, almost the same age as my little one. Ryan, sorry, guys. In this room, they don't really have any empathy for us. Okay, so. And one thing I love about Candy is: when she goes out with her family and she's spending family time or personal time, she's also making relationships. And that is something which I see in you too, Dr. Oquendo. You always have this work, but then you're also thinking about family. But then when you're in family, you're also thinking about work. So you're like doing, juggling both. And I see that even with my wife. So I've noticed that this is, I think, the female power. But for us guys, we are always just focused on one thing, right? We're just at work and we're at work. At home, we're at home, but we are also doing work. So we don't balance life as good. I don't know about you, Ryan. That's my experience. If you have something to say, definitely chime in.
Ryan St. Germain:
No, but my wife is better at everything than I am. Hard stop. There's not enough I have to make a qualifier for that.
Candy Tobar:
You trained her well.
Ryan St. Germain:
She's better at life than I am. But without her, I would be very poor at it.
Dr. Noel Liu:
No, absolutely.
Candy Tobar:
I think of the videos that have gone viral that me and my husband constantly, that's our love language, is sending each other reels and funny little stories that we find online that are so pertinent. And there's one circling around about the differences between mentally a man and a woman. And here's what a woman thinks about all-day long. While she might be sitting there on her phone, but she's scheduling birthday parties; I have to order this; I have to take; I have to book this appointment; I have to. It's constantly, wheels are turning. You're always thinking about what needs to be done next. And then they cut to a man on what they're thinking. And he's thinking about, like, a sandwich, right? Nothing else. And that's like the difference. Like it's probably a little too vague, but I laugh at the differences between the two because we're just hardwired different. We do constantly, our mental load, it's a constant wheel of what needs to get done, and I think that's why men and women, we tend to, you know, be pretty balanced and we both accomplish different things. It's not that your wife is better, Ryan; it's just that we operate in different ways, and without each other, we wouldn't be balanced out, right?
Dr. Noel Liu:
Oh, 100%. I just wanted to shine this a little bit on the human aspect, because it takes successful people in their personal lives to run successful professional lives. And since we are talking about this program, this whole gamut, it all comes as one package. It's not like one or the other. So, if someone is really successful at their personal life, and that's how we look at our team members. If you got your personal life in order, your work life is in order. And that's one of the things that I carry around that kind of goes across goes vice versa. So I love the fact that how you guys mingle around and what do you do to juggle day-to-day activities because it's a lot. It's a lot, especially with the university and the programs and everything that you do. So I really appreciate you guys for doing all that. So that's huge.
Candy Tobar:
I think we all love what we do, and I think that perpetuates the success. We're really passionate about holding our own within our own roles. I think we all play different roles.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Exactly.
Candy Tobar:
And you're right, I love what you just said about balancing your personal life. I think, yeah, you have to set a good foundation in every aspect of your life. If not, it bleeds into the other. Right? You can tell when someone's not happy in their home life. You can tell when somebody's not happy in their career achievements. Bleeds into each other and you bring it home with you or vice versa. So yeah, I think it's your due diligence in life is to organise your family, your schedule. I love what Anabella said about your mental wellness, your physical wellness. Always find time for yourself. And then it inspires people around you. My daughter, who is four, she says, like, Mommy, go into exercise. Because she knows that's part of it, should be part of life. You should learn that a working mother, a mother who takes care of herself physically and mentally, all of that is part of the deal. And I think one thing we're all very good at in this room is covering every single base so that the people around us are lifted by us.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Absolutely. So before we land the plane here, Ryan, how does someone learn more about the program? Is there a way they can shadow someone, or maybe, like, just have a conversation with someone just to see what's inside of each of those four fellowship programs?
Ryan St. Germain:
For interested applicants, that's really a question for Dr. Oquendo. And she has a fantastic team over there in the clinic that I'm sure would be happy to hear from them, but I don't want to assign who for which if she'd like to take that.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Perfect.
Anabella Oquendo:
Okay, so yeah, the team is fantastic really. At the end of the day, we all know it's all about the people, right? And everybody is so welcoming. So it's super easy to reach out to us. I would say one is our website, the school website, it's listed under Education: Advanced Clinical Fellowships. We also do a lot of Instagram, so they can follow us on Instagram. And even my personal Instagram, I'm happy to respond to any messages and guide you through the right person. And we do shadows. So for students that want to see it before even think really applying, we let them come, look at what we do, meet with the other fellows, talk to them, talk to the faculty. So that we also do. And it's very helpful for them to make a decision and to understand what they are getting into it. So I would say Instagram is wonderful. Our website is fantastic. We are on there, listed under Education, and any member of my team will be so helpful and will guide anybody super well. And it's super easy.
Dr. Noel Liu:
I'll add one more.
Anabella Oquendo:
Yeah.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Pass aluminized.
Ryan St. Germain:
We have no better advertising out in the world, right?
Dr. Noel Liu:
You have all the advertisement.
Anabella Oquendo:
The ambassadors of the program.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Ambassadors. I like that. Ambassadors.
Anabella Oquendo:
Yes. Any alumni will be able to talk about the programs and guide anybody through the process of application and what to expect; a day in the life of a student here.
Dr. Noel Liu:
And with that being said, we are going to be doing a shoot one day coming in May, and we'll be doing a shoot about a fellow, right, from the Liu implants, and we're going to be following them and doing exactly what is a day look like for them, from morning till the time they check out, and they go to their homes.
Anabella Oquendo:
Yeah. It's going to be fantastic. Very visual.
Dr. Noel Liu:
I'm really looking forward.
Anabella Oquendo:
Yes. Me too.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Team, any last minute statements?
Anabella Oquendo:
I just want to say thank you for having us. Thank you so much.
Dr. Noel Liu:
No, actually, thank you guys for coming on. It was a work to get all of us together. Right?? So thank you. Appreciate it.
Ryan St. Germain:
It is our pleasure, and we can't wait to see you. And what, just like six weeks or so?
Dr. Noel Liu:
Six weeks? Absolutely.
Ryan St. Germain:
Day in the life is going to be fantastic. And so I hope your viewers and such and listeners are really going to enjoy that too, because seeing behind the curtain is always an interesting way to go about it, and really seeing the rigor that these folks go through and the dedication and passion they have, again, they are the best advertising we could do. So you want people to be interested in the program, you want people to contribute to the program to show them who's in it. We can't tell their story nearly as well, and every one of them is just really incredibly impressive. So thank you for the opportunity to get that word out there.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Well, thank you very much. We're going to land the plane here. Again, NYU College of Dentistry. Their website has all the information about the fellowship program as well as the regular DDS program. So, anytime anyone have any questions, feel free to reach out. We're going to land the plane here. And thank you very much, guys, for coming on. It was a pure pleasure and an honor to have you guys all at the same time.
Anabella Oquendo:
Likewise.
Ryan St. Germain:
Thank you.
Candy Tobar:
Thank you.
Dr. Noel Liu:
All righty.
Candy Tobar:
Take care, guys.
Dr. Noel Liu:
All right. Take care.
Candy Tobar:
Thank you so much.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Take care, doc. I'll see you soon.
Candy Tobar:
I'll see you soon. Bye bye.
Dr. Noel Liu:
Thanks for tuning into the Secure Dental Podcast. We hope you found today's podcast inspiring and useful to your practice and financial growth. For show notes, resources, and ways to stay engaged with us, visit us at NOELLIUDDS.com. That's N O E L L I U D D S.com.
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