Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhythm Fadia.
Hi Rhythm, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born in family of doctors, my dad is internist and my mother is OB/gyn, I watched my parents serve an underserved community in India on the outskirts of Bombay and the joy it brought them despite all the hard work. This motivated me to go into healthcare, I chose dentistry as I realized early on that oral health is gateway to overall health and I wanted to help people smile again.
Graduating from dental school in India in 2007, I practiced in the same outskirts suburb where I grew up, as dentist. To further my career, I immigrated to USA in 2009, pursuing Master’s in Healthcare Administration from California State Univerisity, Long beach CA. My goal was to learn about American Healthcare system and work within hospitals to help make things more efficient and accessible. My first experience was working with Veterans Administration (VA) in Long beach, CA as an intern which opened my eyes to various challenges in healthcare. After graduation, I moved to Northwest Indiana and worked at Pinnacle Hospital managing multiple physician practice locations. My husbands masters education brought us to North Carolina and the beautiful town of Chapel Hill. Here I enjoyed working wtih Avance Care which was a group of 10+ practices in the Raleigh Durham area. While working in Management I learned that my love was clinical dentistry and I wished to see patients and help them one on one.
I took up the challenge of getting into an Advanced Standing Dental Program and started preparing for dental boards while working a full time job. Advanced Dental Programs are extremely selective and despite working full time, I was able to persevere and pass both my boards at the first attempt applying to various dental schools, I was thrilled to be accepted at University of Illinois at Chicago College of dentistry and started school in Jan 2016.
After dental school, our family’s love for North Carolina and Chapel Hill brought us back here to grow as a family and contribute to our community here. I wanted to learn and grow as much as possible. I worked in a variety of clinical settings like General dentistry, pediatric dentistry and denture clinic (Affordable dentures and implants at Fayetteville).
Of all the different models, I enjoyed working at Affordable dentures the most as I felt like I was serving the community who didn’t have access to care they needed. Hence when I had the opportunity to partner with Barry Holyfield at A1 dental Services I was excited as I would do the work I most enjoyed and have autonomy to operate the clinic in the best possible way.
At A1 Dental services we offer same day dentures (usually dentures take 4 appointments, couple weeks apart), and partials full mouth extractions at a very reasonable price, we accept north carolina Medicaid
I treat my patients like I would treat a family member, I often tell them if you were my mother or brother this is the advice I would give you. I also try to see things from patient’s perspective and work with them while formulating the treatment plan.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The Boards: as mentioned above I studied for year and half to prepare and pass the dental boards most of time working a full time job.
The dental school admission: Dental school admissions are very competitive, with 2000 to 3000 applicants for couple hundred seats.
I found out I am pregnant with my daughter Vera in first month of dental school, so it was very challenging to study/ prepare for tests while being pregnant and living on my own in Chicago as my husband Ravi was still in Business school at UNC.
We’ve been impressed with A1 Dental Services, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
we are a specialized clinic with onsite lab. our services are limited to Extractions and dentures.
Due to lab being onsite, we work closely with lab technicians and try to deliver the smile the patient imagined for themselves.
We see patients starting at 7.30 am and their dentures are ready by afternoon same day.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
In india we have a saying: “There is no alternative to hard work.”
Do your best to work towards your goals, and slowly but surely you ll get there.
for new graduate dentists: I would like to say “Keep looking till you find practice that aligns with your values”
Look rural, many great practices might be an hour from where you live, keep an open mind.
Service mindset: Long term happiness and satisfaction comes when you think about the community and how you can make a difference in their life.
Pricing:
- Full set Dentures under $1K
- Extractions starting at $150
- Partials: $385
Contact Info:
- Website: https://a1dentalnc.com/
