Inaugural A-dec scholarship awarded

Saba Ghahari is the recipient of the inaugural A-Dec Australia Scholarship in Dentistry for dental studies at the University of Sydney. This is a scholarship awarded to a first year dental student selected each year by the University of Sydney School of Dentistry teaching staff.

The $10,000 scholarship goes towards course and equipment related expenses and is one of three scholarships supported by A-dec at the Sydney Dental School from 2017-2019.

For as long as she can remember, Saba's long-term career goal has been to become a dentist, something reinforced through work experience as a teenager. Saba chose this profession because she cares about people and their well-being.

"When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to complete a co-operative placement program at my dentist's private practice," she said. "I spent six months shadowing, watching procedures, sterilising instruments, learning the ropes on how to effectively run a practice and asking question after question.

"My placement and my love for anatomy cemented in my mind that dentistry is what I wanted to do."

As she's only at the beginning of her second year, Saba has yet to finally decide what area of practice she'd like to eventually work in.

"At this point, I can fairly confidently say that I would like to stay in general practice, because I enjoy the variety that comes with general dentistry such as being able to see both children and the elderly and the variety of procedures that present."

Saba has been doing some of her studies on the 5th floor of the Sydney Dental Hospital in the "SIM" clinic, which is equipped with A-dec simulators.

In future she hopes to be in the new "North" Clinic that is being equipped with modern A-dec chairs and delivery units - one of many teaching institutions in Australia to do so.

Students from the Sydney Dental School also learn on A-dec chairs and delivery systems in other clinics and teaching hospitals, such as the Westmead Centre for Oral Health.

The recipient of the next A-dec Scholarship will be announced shortly.