The dentist with a heart.
SHAHIRA BTE ABDULLAH
NOV 17, 2014
written by ALIA ABDULLAH
edited by NADIA YEO
Tell me more about what you do.
I'm currently doing my residency in National University of Singapore and National Dental Centre. I'll be graduating in 2016. After that, I will be serving my education bond in a hospital.
Since my undergraduate years, I've always been interested in specialising in orthodontics, which is doing braces. After I graduated in 2011, I served my bond in a polyclinic and a hospital. I did a lot of general dental work like fillings, scaling, normal cleaning and more complex cases like crowning and extractions. When I was working in a hospital, I got the chance to see the orthodontics specialists at work. It spurred me on to pursue this field of work.
The good thing about orthodontics is this - you deal with a lot of teenagers and kids. The best part is that you build a relationship with them. You get to see them for about 3 years. You really watch them change and you really watch them grow up. You see them mature through the awkward stage and get more confident. Also, because of orthodontics, you can really see an improvement psychosocially. Their self-esteem is boosted when their teeth are fixed beautifully. It feels good when you know that you've contributed to their development.
Was it difficult being in dentistry?
We had to handle the patients on our own - we were left to call each patient and schedule appointments with them. To graduate, we had to fulfill certain set requirements. It depended on luck. If your patients were responsible, that's good.
How did you deal with that?
To be honest, I've always been a bit of a control freak. Thus, it was rather challenging for me - knowing that there were things that I just could not control. I had to learn that I just had to work hard and then leave everything to Allah. Allah is the best of planners.
Alhamdulillah, I am very lucky to have very strong support from my family. I could always talk to my parents and my siblings about my difficulties. Even if they did not understand the technical terms in dentistry, they would always say the right things and made me feel better. They were very positive and urged me to carry on. They reassured me that it's alright even if I don't make it in the end.
Above all, solah helped me a lot. In my final year, I had to stay in the NUS hostel. Of course, that meant that I had to be away from my family. During that time, I was pushed to turn to Allah and really on Him completely.
Apart from orthodontics, what are you passionate about?
I am now in Mendaki Club's Leadership Incubator programme. Through the programme, my team and I formed the Numbers Story. The Numbers Story is open to children aged 6 years old from less well-to-do families. We love children and we don’t want another child to miss out just because they don’t have the means.
Basically, the Numbers Story teaches mathematics through storytelling. We have done our research and found that stories create vivid, powerful and memorable images in our minds. As a result, stories allow all of us, not just kids, to learn better. This did not come as a surprise to us. In the Quran, Allah tells us many stories to guide us. The Prophet (SAW) also used to tell meaningful stories to his companions and followers to teach them valuable lessons.
You must be really busy with your post-graduate studies? What keeps you motivated to devote your time and efforts to The Number Story?
My parents have always taught my siblings and I that we have to give back to the community. I always remember that what we have isn't really ours. Everything comes from Allah. Allah has given us our own unique gifts and these gifts should be shared. They can be taken away at any time. I believe that if I always give excuses, I will never have the time to volunteer.
When I see the kids improve, get more confident and closer to my team and I at Numbers Story, I feel so grateful. You become very familiar with the quirks of each child. You know how to improvise here and there to capture their attention and make them gain knowledge. It's just so nice to see them learn in their own special way.
What advice do you have for others who would like to volunteer ?
It really depends on how strong your intentions are. If your intention is to give back, remember that you can always start small. Our prophet has said, "The best actions are those which are small and consistent" (Bukhari & Muslim).
Look out for organizations that allow you to volunteer on an adhoc basis. If you don't take the first step, it will never happen. Of course, I understand that we all can get pretty busy. On my end, I have a thesis to write and patients to handle. However, we have to realise that life is not all about our careers. Let's grab every opportunity to be a blessing to others. Insha’allah, Allah will make it easy for you.