New OHSU Grad Seeking Position in Portland Metro/Willamette Valley
Hometown
Portland, OR
Years of Experience
Recent graduate
Desired Location
Portland Metro/Willamette Valley
Full-Time/Part-Time?
Full-time, would consider part-time
Number of Days?
4-5
Procedures Proficient at Completing?
BLS certification, amalgam & composite direct restorations, crown & bridge, single anterior restorations, implant restorations, endodontics, extractions, removable prosthodontics, nitrous, clinical photography, vaccine administration
Bio
I was born in Bulgaria and came to the US as an infant—I lived in Georgia and Florida until I was about 5. My family moved to Portland, and I grew up here. After high school, I studied at the Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon for my undergraduate education, and received my doctorate from the OHSU School of Dentistry this last June. I love dentistry because it’s a beautiful intersection of science and artistry. I love being able to restore a tooth with a small piece of art, and to use my skills to help people in my community. Working with Dr. Bertassoni is one of the highlights of my dental school education. His lab explores novel techniques in tissue engineering. I aided with a project in 3D-printing interlocking bricks (like LEGO) that could someday serve as a template for regrowing bone tissue, resulting in multiple publications. This experience helped me understand where our clinical knowledge comes from and has improved my ability to ask good questions and answer them. Research has greatly strengthened my ability to practice evidence-based dentistry, and I would love to someday incorporate research into my practice. My background in materials research has lent itself towards a preventative and conservative practice philosophy. I appreciate the challenge of replicating natural tissues and understand that nothing you can put in a tooth will be as good as the original tooth. I feel a responsibility to help my patients preserve their teeth for as long as we can. I deeply value patient autonomy and want my patients to feel empowered to make good decisions for their health through mutual understanding and trust with their doctor. In the short term, I want to focus on strengthening the foundational clinical skills that I developed at OHSU. I am seeking a practice that first and foremost provides ethical, high-quality care, and that provides mentorship and support that will help me become a better dentist. Over the long term, I am curious about practice ownership, which is a significant responsibility that I am not yet ready for. But maybe one day! I’m early enough in my career to know that any plans I have now will likely change, so I remain open minded to new opportunities.
Desired Start Timeframe
Within 90 Days