Humans of TUSDM: Babak Senfi (D24)
In the blur of what dental school can feel like, “Humanizing TUSDM” is a project created by Yenna Chu (D27) to remind us of our shared humanity and the special stories that make us who we are. The project hopes for members of the Tufts Dental community to find comfort in knowing they are not alone on this journey and to help build new connections through storytelling.
“In dental school, you are engaged in an education that includes didactics, patient care, professional development, and, on top of that, hands-on skills. Balancing all of that is a lot!
The hardest part of dental school for me was finding a balance between being able to do your work well, but also finding time for yourself and finding ways to lean on your support network. It is so important to reenergize yourself because burnout is real in dentistry. You want to be proactive and oversee it before it happens. I realized that it’s also about the simple things. Go out to dinner with friends, try new spots, explore different areas of the city, go salsa dancing, or go walking. It doesn’t matter what you do, it matters that you do something.
Dental school can be very taxing and so is dentistry in general. I would be weary of taking on too many additional responsibilities outside of school. You may find yourself in school working until 6 or 7 and then meetings until 8 or 9, which is what I did for a good amount of time. Keep in mind that it’s about the journey, not the destination. Even in school, do things you enjoy. For me, I enjoyed doing research on cancer cells. Research is really great and I would recommend everybody to try it. The best part about research is that you can always dive into an area that you are curious about.
In addition to that, finding a support network is also so important. If you have family close by and can go home on the weekends, that’s great. If you don’t, especially in your first year, I would prioritize finding friends and building your support network. Finding a support network is so underrated, at least it was for me. At first, I didn’t see the benefit of it. Later on, I became proactive about it.
After graduation, I’m going to be doing oral surgery. I’m looking forward to being a student again. Something that I’ve realized is as I learn more, I feel like I know less. I recognize that this means that I have more learning to do and there is a lot that I do not know. One thing I’m looking forward to in residency is the hands-on environment, where I’ll perform surgeries and procedures and gradually improve over time. This time around, I also hope to be a better student by using my own advice on finding balance.
One day, I hope to ultimately help people who are underserved and contribute to the field of dentistry, whether by teaching in academia or conducting research. How that will play out in my career, I’m not sure but we will see!”
If you are interested in sharing your story, please fill out the form here!