Many foreign-trained dentists take several years to find their feet in the United States and acquire licensure and employment in the dental profession. Some will spend years in underemployment and suffer unmeasured consequences of this such as lack of fulfillment and depression.
"Synergy" means the effect of two or more individuals cooperating is greater than the sum of their separate effects. We designed the course to help fast track the learning of foreign dentists about the U.S. healthcare system, the U.S. dental profession, the U.S. educational system and cultural differences that will strengthen their applications and interview performance in an International Dentist program in the U.S.
INSTRUCTORS
Veerasathpurush Allareddy
BDS MBA MHA PhD MMSc
Dr. Veerasathpurush Allareddy is the Chair of Orthodontics at the University of Illinois (Chicago) College of Dentistry. Dr. Allareddy graduated from the Ragas Dental College in Chennai, India. He went on to complete a Masters in Business Administration (University of Iowa), Masters in Healthcare Administration (University of Iowa), PhD (University of Iowa), Orthodontics Residency (Harvard School of Dental Medicine) and a Craniofacial Fellowship at Children’s Hospital Boston. He has close to 150 publications in peer reviewed journals.
Dr. Allareddy was the Director of Pre-doctoral Orthodontic Education at Harvard School of Dental Medicine for three years before returning to Iowa. Dr. Allareddy has extensive experience advising and mentoring students applying for Orthodontics. Dr. Allareddy has served on the Orthodontic Admissions Committee at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and currently serves on Iowa’s Admissions Committee.
SHEETAL ASHER
BDS DMD
Dr. Sheetal Asher is a pediatric private practice dentist practicing in Texas. Dr. Asher was born in Mombasa (Kenya) and graduated from University of Bristol School of Dentistry (United Kingdom). After working for several years in the National Health Service in London, she joined Harvard School of Dental Medicine as an Advanced Standing student and completed her training in 2012. Upon graduation from Harvard she was hired to serve as faculty in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences in 2014 and 2015.
Harneet Grewal
DDS, MDS
Dr. Harneet Grewal is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry (UMSoD).She was born in India where she trained as dentist before moving to the U.S . Dr. Grewal received her dental degree at the University of California, San Francisco and her pediatric dentistry specialty training at Tufts University, Boston. She served as a full time faculty and then the Associate Director of the Pediatric Dentistry Program at the NYU-Lutheran site in Massachusetts .
She is a board certified pediatric dentist with extensive experience in providing care for pediatric patients in a hospital setting.She also oversees and directs the Pediatric Dentistry Special Needs Service at Mott Children’s Hospital . She has served on numerous multi-discipline teams as a hospital staff dentist /dental surgeon at hospitals in Massachusetts and Michigan. She also was a core faculty and mentor in the MI-LEND (Michigan Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) Program and an Interprofessional Leadership Fellow at University of Michigan.
ROMESH NALLIAH - DIRECTOR
DDS, MHCH, FACD
Dr. Romesh P. Nalliah is Dean for Patient Services at University of Michigan School of Dentistry. After graduating from University of Adelaide School of Dentistry in 2000, Dr. Nalliah practiced in Australia before being hired as faculty at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Nalliah served as faculty at Harvard for seven years, completed a Masters in Healthcare Management (Harvard School of Public Health) and a Fellowship in Medical Education (Harvard Medical School) before moving to University of Michigan. Dr. Nalliah served as Interim Co-Director of Pre-doctoral Education at Harvard and remains Adjunct Faculty at Harvard.
At Harvard and Michigan, Dr. Nalliah served on the Admissions Committees. Dr. Nalliah has broad experiences in advising and mentoring college students applying for dental school and dental students applying for residencies.
Dr. Nalliah is the Director of this course for Foreign Trained Dentists.
Peggy Timothé
DDS MPH MA
Dr. Peggy Timothé is the Program Director for the Dental Public Health residency program at the Texas A & M University College of Dentistry. Dr. Timothé completed her dental training at New York University and her advanced education in general dentistry at the Lutheran Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY. She later received a Masters in Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and completed her dental public health residency training at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Timothé was a faculty member at Harvard School of Dental Medicine for 11 years where she served on the Admissions Committee. From 2013 to 2016 she served as Director of Diversity and Inclusion before moving to Texas A & M to the role of program director.
Dr. Timothé has extensive experience advising and mentoring college students applying for dental school and dental students applying for residencies.
AND MORE...
Other faculty, staff, and students who have contributed to the program in the past
Steve Stefanac
DDS, MS
Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Patrick Burke
Director of Sterilization and Dispensing, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Jay Mistry
General Dentist - Former Student, Internationally Trained Dentist Program. University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Abhishek Desai
General Dentist - Former Student, Internationally Trained Dentist Program. University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch
DDS, PhD
Dean, Indiana University School of Dentistry.
Brandonn Perry
Infection Control, Compliance and Safety Office, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Pattie Katcher
Admissions Associate Director, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Anne Gwozdek
RDH, BA, MA
Director, Dental Hygiene Graduate Program (retired), University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Jeet Patel
General Dentist - Former Student, Internationally Trained Dentist Program. University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Barjinder Takra
BDS, DDS
General Dentist and CEO of Takra Dental Simulations